STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen
by mediaocrity4
Summary: They were the defenders of the world and they would save it from war. Story skips around time a lot between the end of the Great War the formation of the Huntsmen Academies and the exploits of Team STRQ. My first published fic.
1. Arthur Arc

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: Rewrite. STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen has been rewritten. The basics are the same but the focus is now just on brief stories about the various going ons in this story. So I'd like for you to read from the beginning because there are changes to make this fit better with what I've done in RWBYond Vale, which as of the upload of this rewrite, will end in 2 and a half hours.**

Chapter 1: Arthur Arc: The Tiresome War.

Arthur Arc was a man born in the heat of war. The Great War had swept through all of Remnant and stayed there for centuries. No one knew why the war started. Maybe it was because of a simple border dispute. Maybe it was the assassination of a prince. Maybe it was a rebel incursion in Mantle that was bankrolled by the now nameless Lost Kingdom. A nation that was wiped off the face of the planet when Mantle found out. But all the records were lost. All knowledge from before the war was lost. All hope was lost.

Arthur was just the latest in a long line of Arcs. They were all warriors. But they all failed to live a long life. Arthur had lost his father when he was only ten years old. His father too had been orphaned at a similar age for the same reason. No one was safe from this war. It had gone on to the point where no one could even remember the reason. Now all there was, was the hatred at those that perpetuated the violence.

Arthur's first battle was against an invading Mantle fleet. He had unlocked his semblance that day. And with it, managed to put up a shield strong enough to block a canon shot. The people he saved that day had thanked him and paraded him around like a hero. "The Indomitable Arthur Arc" they called him. "Hero of Vale."

It was soon afterwards that Arthur became a captain. He led his men to numerous victories…and countless defeats. It was clear that Vale was struggling. The people lived in poverty while those in the capital lived in luxury. But the soldiers…the fact that Arthur was quickly becoming one of the strongest fighters in Vale did not bode well. They didn't have the seemingly endless dust resources and advanced dust-based firearms of Mantle. They didn't have the great strategists and military precision that the Mistral Spartans had. None of them…no, even the hundred strongest men in Vale couldn't stand up to the Vacuo Raiders. Any attempt to infiltrate the desert kingdom ended in disaster.

One day, a temporary truce was signed between Vale and Mistral. Arthur, who had just been promoted to General, teamed with the Mistral General Orion Nikos. 600 men in total marched through the desert pass in an attempt to apprehend the Vacuo guardian Allister Mordred. Mordred had come alone, brandishing his mace. The fight lasted less than an hour. Mordred's semblance controlled gravity, one of the fundamental forces on the planet. The invaders never stood a chance. Even with Nikos' magnetism and Arthur's hard light semblances. Nikos was scarred across the eye with his own spear. Arthur's shoulder was dislocated by a blow from Mordred's mace. In the end, the three leaders were the only ones still breathing. And Mordred had sparred them. He told them to go back home, and fight him when they believed they were a threat.

While Arthur recovered from the brutal beating, he met a beautiful nurse. She cared for him, even long after his bones had mended. And they got married and had a son. But Arthur was tired. He was tired of this war. He refused to let his son be orphaned too. He refused to have his son suffer his fate. So he pleaded with King Charles to take a more defensive approach. Charles initially refused, but upon counseling with the wizard Ozpin, he put Arthur in charge of Vale's security. Arthur Arc had officially become a guardian.

Arthur felt as though this was what was always meant to be. The downside was that he spent most of his time on the border, far away from his family. But his mind and semblance were much better suited for defense than offense. He heard word that General Nikos had taken a similar position in Mistral. Though the two were at war, Arthur had a grudging respect for the Spartan Commander. Just as he had a fear of Allister Mordred and the other raiders. General Thurston, who left nothing but black ash in his wake. No one could ever confirm what Thruston looked like or if he even existed. Hayan Wukong, who had single handedly beaten a thousand Mantle Stormtroopers in less than an hour. Arthur had seen the footage, Wukong could summon an entire army with his semblance. Lastly, May Long, who could split a mountain with her fist, so the legends said.

But then one day, Arthur was reminded of the real threat. The Grimm had been mankind's greatest enemy since the beginning of time. But with the advancement of weaponry, it was believed the Grimm were no longer a threat. Even the mightiest of Grimm would fall to the new dust rounds. But, as Arthur imagined must have happened before, the Grimm were back. They were back with a vengeance. And they were stronger than they ever had been before.

The papers called it a deathstalker after the fact. A strange new, scorpion type Grimm. One stink from its tail could shatter a man's aura. Arthur had never fought anything like it before. He had no idea how to fight such a primal beast. He could match it blow for blow. But the same could not be said for his men. And the more the panicked, the more Grimm came. In the end, Arthur was the only one left. He had barely beaten the deathstalker, his sword shattering on its armor, and the Grimm that followed it. But he suffered a massive wound to his stomach.

He had been rescued by a scouting party. They brought him to a tent to be healed. While he was there he was approached by the wizard and his aid. They told him that this new Grimm was only the beginning. There were Grimm more powerful than he could possibly imagine. And in just a few years' time, they would gather and wipe out humanity. But there were people who could combat this threat if only the kingdoms could unite. Or at least their greatest warriors. Among them were four maidens. Each had power over the elements as well as the power of a season. One of them was in Mantle, and already working with Ozpin. Two others were unaccounted for. But the other, the spring maiden, was on the island of Patch.

Ozpin tasked him with convincing this maiden to help him combat this threat. Her power and prestige would be a unifying factor in gathering the forces of humanity. Because, as he explained, the threat of extinction is more than enough for even the most spiteful people to set aside their differences. Even if the peace was only temporary, this threat needed to be dealt with immediately.

 **AN: So that's the rewrite of the first chapter. Next chapter is skipping ahead to Summer Rose. Among other things, this rewrite is going to be more consistent with the back and forth narrative. It's also a good chance to write in a more fairy tale style than RWBYond Vale. Which if you read, then you know how this ends. Still, be sure to review.**


	2. Summer Rose

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: So here's the second chapter. This will serve as the introduction of Summer and some set up for other characters I'll be using later on. Last Chapter was just an introduction for some of the people that will become the founders of the Huntsmen as we know them. I'll be hopping back and forth between these stories for a while. So remember to read, review, follow, favorite or whatever else you think I deserve.**

Chapter 2: Summer Rose: The Last Rose of the Flower Patch

Summer Rose was born without any pomp and circumstance. She was healthy from the day she was born. Her mother and father were quite the legendary huntsmen but they never put their faces out there. The thing her father was most known for was winning the Vytal Festival Tournament during his time at Beacon. Her mother had a similar reputation, but did everything she could to stay humble. To the point where only those who had met her knew anything about her.

They were very private people. They were very loving people. They were adored in their home town of Patch. They were Julius Season and Violet Rose. They were treasures to the world. But Summer just called them daddy and mommy. She always took after her mother, but with her father's thick dark red hair. And Summer's life was like a fairy tale. Her parents were heroes who lived happily ever after. And they got to spend that happy ending with their beloved daughter.

Until, at the age of ten, they were both taken from her. Their weapons, and parts of their clothes were found broken, tattered and torn in the old barn house that rested on the fringes of the island. It was a passerby that discovered their remains. After that, Summer went to live with the matriarch of Patch. Gardenia "Granny" Glens, ran the biggest grocery store on the island. Her family had run the island for generations. The legendary hero, Acacia Glens, who helped end the Great War had once resided in that very same home.

Summer mourned for a while, but came back out of her shell with the help of Granny Glens, and her granddaughter, Daisy. Daisy was a few years older than Summer. But they were inseparable for many years. But it became clear that they had different dreams. Daisy wanted a simple quiet life on Patch. Summer wanted to become a huntress, just like her parents and their parents before them.

She received rudimentary training from Granny Glens. The matriarch had been quite the huntress in her time. Not many in that profession lived to see the ripe old age she had. And from her knowledge of aura and semblance, it was clear to see how she had done it.

Summer discovered her semblance was speed. She joined Signal Academy where she studied under a man named Octavius. She became proficient with a halberd-rifle-flail combo weapon. She named it Lunar Rose. She worked herself half to death to be the strongest she could be.

At the age of fourteen, she killed her first Grimm. A beowolf that was hanging around the Cliffside. It was still a juvenile Grimm and she had her instructor watching her back. But she dealt with the Grimm quickly. White rose petals had drifted from her speed semblance into the wind as she sliced the beast across the stomach. It was exhilarating.

She developed a taste for battle after that. So long as it was against the Grimm. Sadly, combat preliminary schools didn't do a lot of Grimm fighting. It was mostly combat practice and spars. That, plus other rudimentary schoolwork.

She understood why. You couldn't last long in Remnant if you couldn't defend yourself. Huntsmen specialized in fighting Grimm. But everyone learned some combat that they could use in their day-to-day lives. Patch was primarily a farming community. So farmers would need to defend their rural land against the rogue monsters that sought to kill them. Therefore, even for those who had no desire to be a huntsman, could find use for a weapon.

At age sixteen, she moved back into her families' house. It had belonged to the Rose family for as long as there had been a town on Patch. Living here was her birth right. Even and especially since, as of the present, she was the last Rose on Patch. As far as anyone knew, she was the only one in the world.

A year later she graduated from Signal. She applied for Beacon Academy and was accepted right away. Professor Ozpin had personally thanked her for picking Beacon. As if she'd go anywhere else. He had known her parents and was looking forward to seeing what she could do.

Granny Glens warned her to be weary of Ozpin and Professor Branwen, the history teacher. Granny Glens knew them well and didn't trust them a bit. Summer wondered why. She had her last dinner among her loved ones. Granny Glens forced her to stay. She had stayed up late conversing with Daisy and her husband. She was envious of Daisy, she got what she always wanted so much quicker than Summer had. She was married with a little baby. While Summer was taking the first step into achieving her dream and becoming a huntress.

Summer woke up early that day. She already had her stuff packed and ready to go. It seemed like all of Patch had come out to see her off. Some even made remarks that another Rose is going off to become a hero. And others claimed that another Rose is going off to wilt. Summer wondered what they meant about that.

Before the ship set out she was greeted by some of her friends. The Snappes family in particular were getting ready for their honeymoon. Before Summer left, they gave her a cleaning kit for her weapon. Daisy gave her a cook book. Granny Glens gave her a sewing kit. Octavius gave her a flute, even though she didn't know how to play anything other than piano.

The last words anyone told her before the ship left came from Granny Glens. "I'm so proud of you. But don't let this life destroy you as it did your parents." Summer assumed she meant to not let herself be killed. Which that seemed like a given. It was no secret how dangerous a huntsman's life was. But there was something more ominous about how she said it.

 **AN: Yes, chapters in this story are going to be typically much shorter than in RWBYond Vale. But if you read that story, a lot of the twist and turns are already spoiled. This is just a nice little story book to scratch that itch. And it gives a little more context about where the older characters in that story are coming from. When I get to the action, they'll probably be longer. But this is me just telling a story, not writing a complex narrative. Tell me what you think in a review.**


	3. Acacia Glens

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: Here's chapter 3 and honestly it was one of my favorites to come up with. And it was the funnest to rewrite. Mostly because there's a lot in here that isn't really in RWBYond, which was the original intention of this story anyway.**

Chapter 3:Acacia Glens: Guardian of Peace

Patch may very well be the most beautiful place in Remnant this time of year. It certainly did wonders to ease Acacia's mind. This was her ancestral home, in more ways than one. There was nowhere else she would rather be. Especially since her only alternative was to fight in a pointless war.

Acacia had not been born on Patch. Rather she was born in the shadow of Mt. Glenn. When she was five years old, Mantle had attacked the valley. Acacia had been saved by a woman clad in an emerald cloak. Acacia never got her name, but she knew she had been a knight of Vale. She had then moved to Patch, to be with what remaining family she had.

When she was seven she met the Rose family. They were the police of Patch, guardians of the island. They made it safe, far safer than anywhere else in Vale's territories. No Kingdom dared to attack the island so long as it was under their protection.

When she was twelve, tragedy struck. The Rose family were wiped out by some terrible monster. The only survivor was Raymond, her dearest friend. He had been traumatized by the event. Acacia asked a lot of questions but no one told her the answers. Eventually Raymond told her that it was two monsters. And he would have died too if not for an emerald-clad knight. Acacia wondered if it was the same one that saved her.

Just days later, the wizard Ozpin came. He believed she was, what he called, a maiden. She studied under him for five years. She learned how to manifest her powers. She learned how to summon nature to her aid without the use of dust. The very earth seemed to answer her every whim. But then Acacia learned the truth.

Ozpin had no plans on using this power to help people. He ignored the cries of the starving children and depressed ridden populace. He wanted to use Acacia as a weapon. A weapon for good? Maybe, but a weapon for war. He wanted her to become the guardian of Vale. He introduced her to the other maidens. Amber, Helen and Elsa were all just a few years older than her. Helen was the daughter of a rich nobleman in Mistral. Amber the daughter of a merchant in Vacuo. Elsa was the daughter of the Duchess of Atlas. They were all amazing. They each had powers, not unlike her own. But things always changed.

Amber left. She went back home, tired of Ozpin's lies. Or so she said. She went back home in the dead of night. After that, they all drifted apart. Helen went back to Mistral to be married off somewhere. Elsa went back to Atlas, but she at least stayed loyal to Ozpin. But when Acacia learned, what Amber had learned, it made her sick to her stomach.

So she, like Amber, left for home. At the age of nineteen she moved back in with her grandmother and cousin on Patch. She met back up with Raymond and told him everything, just as he had told her all those years ago. He had become a striking young man. He single handedly kept the island safe. But she could see it taking his toll. So she used her power, and her gift for craftsmanship, to ease his burden. She taught him all the things she had learned about dust. And he taught her how to fight monsters. They both became guardians of Patch. And with their combined power, no one dared to come to the island with ill intent.

Acacia did give back to the world though. With her, admittedly cheating, powers over life, she made Patch a prosperous hub of goods. She sold them for cheap all across the world. She also used her talents as a craftsman to make weapons. She hated the war, but she knew that if it carried on something bigger would come. And all of Remnant would be safer if everyone had a weapon when that happened. And then one day, he came.

"Gardenia, be nice to our guest." She called to her cousin. She was 22 years old now. And she wore an emerald cloak that matched her eyes and wore a yellow outfit under it. She brandished her battle axe over her hip. She stepped out into the foyer of the store and saw the general of Vale, Arthur Arc.

"Acacia Glens, I presume." Arthur said giving a polite bow.

"How can I help you?" she asked with a gentle smile on her face.

"I heard you are quite the craftsman. I need someone to help me fix my sword and perhaps build a backup sword as well." Arthur said presenting what's left of his sword.

Acacia examined it taking note of the markings. "Right this way sir." She said narrowing her eyes. He followed her into a shed. The walls were plastered with tools weapons and other trinkets. Acacia sat down at the workbench and started getting to work. "So why are you really here?" She inquired.

"I take it you know who I am." He said having a seat across from her.

"More importantly I know what you are. Not everyone has a sword like this. So I'll ask again, what's a high ranking officer of the Valean military doing in my home." She said anger apparent in her voice. "I thought I made my position quite clear to the King."

"The King isn't who brought me here."

"Then, who?" She said losing her patience.

"The people are at war. The kingdoms only see each other as a threat. My sword is broken. I have a deathstalker scar on my stomach. A beowolf tried to ambush me on my way here. I have done all that is necessary to conceal my identity. And now I'm having a pleasant conversation with none other than the Spring Maiden." Her heart skipped a beat and she flinched at those words.

"So you know who I am."

"More importantly I know what you are." He said mirroring her earlier remark. "You abandoned your life of war in order to become a guardian for your people. As a guardian you defend them from the Grimm and the War. You teach them how to defend themselves, giving them hope, confidence, and the tranquility to live life without fearing tomorrow." He gave a sigh as she turned her attention to him, wondering where he was going with this. "People like me, we only bring panic and ruin to those who we swore to protect. Our armies attract despair and hate. And those things bring the Grimm, which just bring more panic and fear in a vicious cycle. But I'm trying Ms. Glens; I'm trying real hard to be the hero."

"Who sent you?"

"The Wizard, after my near fatal battle with the deathstalker he opened my eyes to the truth beyond the truth. And now I know the only way the only way to prevent what's coming, to stop the extinction of the human race. I need a powerful ally, someone who can inspire hope, someone who can convince the Kingdoms to recognize what's right in front of them. And I need a new sword, a sword that is tailor made to fight Grimm, one that isn't made for taking a human life, something handy, and something I can channel my aura through. I think you can fulfill both of these needs. No, in fact it has to be you."

Acacia had listened intently. He seemed genuine enough. And if the wizard thought civilization was at a risk to the point where such a famous general would be sent to give her this mission. "Very well, I will build you your sword and help you on this crusade. On two conditions, you name your sword and you learn how to really fight monsters." She said that last part with a coy smile. He wondered what she meant. She wrote down a name and address. "You'll stay with this guy during your stay here on Patch. Tell him Acacia sent you to become a huntsman. Now what do you have a name for your sword or do you want to come up with one later?"

He had a name in mind, his nickname among the enemy armies. The name that had brought so much fear to man would be transformed, with the aid of this woman, into a name synonymous with hope, hope that the Grimm threat will be dealt with in a blinding yellow light. "Corcea Mors. And I accept both of your conditions." He walked out of the shack and headed toward the Rose house.

 **AN: Another rewrite down. The whole second half is actually identical, save for some perspective things. This not only serves as a summary of Acacia but also a neat little origin story for Jaune's sword. And if you've read RWBYond Vale, then you know where this is going. And if you haven't, why not? It's freaking awesome. Be sure to review.**


	4. Raven and Qrow Branwen

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: This is the one with the most retcons in it just because of stuff I came up with as I was writing RWBYond Vale.**

Chapter 4: Qrow and Raven: Branwens of a feather.

Qrow Branwen was born into a family of prestige, but not necessarily capital. The Branwens had long been the watchers of Vale. Some even say they were the first family of Vale. The basic sigil of the Branwen family certainly matched ancient sculptures and paintings from long before the Great War. But many believed that they were merely adopted. Namely by Corvus Branwen, who traveled the world in an attempt to preserve art and culture in the last days of the Great War. And if not him, then the Branwens who preceded him.

But Qrow didn't care about any of that. Not like his twin sister Raven did. She was born just a few minutes before him and has been all high and mighty ever since. She'd flick him on the head and call him an idiot every time he tried to be funny. Her only sense of humor was to get other people in high emotions. Whether making them miserable or angry. Usually just flustered.

Like the time she told their father about a certain magazine he had hidden under his bed. Or the time he had a crush on a girl and she told the whole school just to see his reaction. He'd get her back too. Ice down her shirt. Gum in her hair (got his nose broken on that one). Hitting her with a water balloon on a breezy day. Throwing mud at her face. child's play really. But she never let it get too her, unless it was her hair that he was messing with. Wet t-shirt, well, time to flaunt her stuff. Water balloon, challenge accepted. Ice down her shirt, ooh what a fun game to play, only she wasn't afraid to drop it down his pants.

They fought and bickered all day long. But that's because they spent every day, all day, together. When they were little, their mother died. The doctors said it was pneumonia. Raven took it really hard. Qrow took it…well, he was a lot more visibly shaken. Raven wouldn't talk to anyone but Qrow after that. Everyone else was just sarcasm, innuendos, or a cold shoulder. Qrow talked to everyone. He wore his heart on his sleeve and rarely removed it. He didn't care what people thought. Neither did Raven. The difference was that Qrow thought people could help.

Their father, Craven, became more and more distant after their mother's death. He stayed up in his study, reading all day long. Sometimes Raven would go up there and read too. But Qrow preferred to look out into the sea at Raven's Peak, named for the fact that from an angle the Cliffside looks like a raven perched in the sea. Craven had also taken more trips to Mantle, and his friend Deacon Blackwater. Actually, they were rivals. Had been since their ancestors in the great war. The Blackwaters had the largest library in the world as their home. And every time he came back he would have a new gizmo. Or a new medicine that he would give to Raven when she was sick.

Raven seemed to get sick a lot. Certainly more than Qrow did. But Craven would always make it better. It was about all he was good for. So most of the time, Qrow and Raven were home alone, or with a maid, or for a brief time a butler. The castle was large and full of artwork and weapons and mostly books. Some of the books were good but some of them were lame. Raven said that most of something is probably crap. Like most humans, she said.

Like all Branwens, or really most people these days, they went to combat school. Lighthouse Academy, though not the first (that would be Signal on the island of Patch), was the largest preliminary combat school in Vale. Only Sanctum Academy in Mistral had a larger campus and only Prometheus Academy in Mantle had a larger student body.

Qrow and Raven both wanted to be huntsmen. The profession was legendary. Top, and even mid-tier huntsmen were awarded celebrity status. There was no shortage of work. It paid extremely well. And you could basically do whatever you want. You could go anywhere. And all the ladies loved a hero. That was Qrow's ambition, get strong, get famous, get rich and get girls

But he knew Raven was different. Being a huntress meant relinquishing your citizenship. It meant being free to your own devices. You weren't assigned missions like a military, you chose them. That's what Raven wanted. That's what most people who become huntsmen want, freedom. Freedom from government is what led to their creation at the end of the war.

Raven wanted a simple weapon. Something functional that can be used in most situations. So she went with a sword. And not wanting to be outdone by Qrow, she made it almost as long as her body. And she made the sheath a rotating blade dispenser. It held dozens of blades, one for every conceivable situation. She really did want to rub it in his face how good with dust she was.

Qrow had a different mindset. Grimm were not a problem by themselves. Sure, there were powerful Grimm, but the majority of them wouldn't be able to beat a preteen brandishing a table leg in a one-on-one fight. So Qrow designed his weapon for crowd control. Each form designed to be nigh impossible to dodge or block. A buster sword with a shotgun that turned into a scythe. And he was a natural with it. Of course he was, weapons and engineering were two of his skills he was actually proud of.

Raven graduated top of the class from Lighthouse. Qrow was third. The second place guy ended up being a pilot on an air ship. So for all intents and purposes, Qrow was the second best fighter and student coming out of Lighthouse that year. He and Raven were both accepted into Beacon, and even personally welcomed by headmaster Ozpin. Though, it was possible he was just seeing Craven, which happened from time to time.

As they looked from the airship to Beacon, Qrow put his hand on Raven's shoulder. They made it. They were one step closer to their goal. To glory. To power. To knowledge. To freedom.

 **AN: Once again, the problem with a prequel is that you already know how it's going to end. Which is why I'm doing such a brisk, minimalist thing. There will be more detail when the action kicks in, just because that is one thing I have been told I'm good at. Leave a review, because I love reading and responding to them.**


	5. Raymond Rose

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: Halfway through the rewrites. This chapter probably isn't going to change much. I remember enjoying this bit a lot. And I even referenced it throughout RWBYond Vale. The original idea was to have Acacia and Arthur sort of reflect Jaune and Ruby, with Raymond being the third wheel that gets the girl because Arthur already had a wife and kid. But with all the stuff in volume 3, I ended up giving Raymond the silver eyes and Acacia maiden powers. So now Arthur is the third wheel.**

 **Chapter 5: Raymond Rose: Last of the Argentware**

Argentware, what did that term even mean? Raymond knew where it came from but he didn't when he was a child. He was so young when it happened. His entire family murdered all because he trusted a talking shadow. But the Shadow was sealed in the Necropolis now.

So now Raymond was just a huntsman on Patch. He did his own thing. Taking very enthusiastic walks. Fighting monsters. Having picnics at least twice a week with Acacia. Sometimes sparring with her. Hell, he had gotten this huntsman thing down to a science. He could write the book on hunting monsters. Too bad every other able bodied man and woman were so preoccupied with the war. The idiots.

And for that matter, screw Ozpin. Several times the Wizard had tried to get him to fight. But he had no desire to fight the finite might of man. The Grimm were a permanent threat. One that if not kept in check would run rampant throughout the entire kingdom. Apparently the old fool took the hint because he hadn't been back since Acacia left his little magic club. And then one day Raymond had a knock on his door.

"Can I help you?" Raymond said. The man looked puzzled at his appearance. So, a green jump suit and a red scarf weren't exactly intimidating. Especially to Raymond's silver eyed ginger face.

"Yes, I'm looking for a Raymond do you know him?" The man looked military but was dressed in the garbs of a peasant.

"Well of course I know him, he's me." Raymond said crossing his arms.

"The Spring…I mean Acacia sent me. I want to learn how best to fight monsters. She said you could help."

"Acacia sent you to the right place. You're looking at the premiere huntsman in all of Remnant." Raymond said with pride gesturing for Arthur to come in.

"Really?" Arthur said doubtingly as he took a seat.

"Well as one of only two people to claim that title…and the only man to do so…I'd say the cards are in my favor."

"More like you're playing with a stacked deck. Who's the other?"

"Acacia, obviously. I taught her everything I know."

"And who taught you?"

"My parents a little. They died when I was little. After that I guess I'm self-taught. I studied the Grimm and the legends that surround them for eight years. And my methods have been effective so far. Patch hasn't had a Grimm crisis in over six years."

"Just how old are you?"

"20. I was 14 last time a Grimm actually attacked this village. Acacia has been a big help these last few years. Speaking of which where are my manners? Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Water please."

"So what's your name soldier?"

"Arthur Arc."

"Raymond Rose." He said with a shake of hands.

"How could you tell I was a soldier?"

"Man your age coming to Patch to learn to fight Grimm, surely you must be a soldier. And that name, Arc, I've heard it before. You are the war hero who's kept Vale afloat."

"I'm no hero. A hero saves people because it's the right thing to do. I fight people because it's the only thing I know how to do. Besides I didn't come here just to learn how to fight Grimm. I came here to get Acacia's help on a mission. This was one of the conditions that I become a huntsman certified by you."

"So you have seen what's happening."

"You know."

"Deceit doesn't help in the fight against Grimm, that's what separates hunters from soldiers. Acacia and I tell each other everything. I know what she is but more importantly I know who she is. And I've seen the things she can do."

"So will you help me?"

"Yes of course. Luckily you know how to use a weapon so the hard part is done. Where is your weapon?"

"Currently in Acacia's shop."

"Don't worry you can use one of mine." Raymond got his swords and handed one to Arthur as they prepped for a spar. "You have fought plenty of people before so come at me and I'll teach you the difference in fighting beasts." Arthur attacked him but instead of blocking and letting his aura do the work, Raymond dodged. "Grimm don't have aura for they lack a soul. Instead they rely on tough hides, dense muscle and thick bones. The older or larger a Grimm the stronger they are. You can take blows with your aura but that should only be used to keep human error from being the death of you." Raymond countered and struck Arthur on the side. "Grimm do not hesitate, they don't get exhausted. As you know a soldier even a highly trained one can only go strong for a few minutes. A Grimm will go until its dead." Arthur connected a blow to Raymond's leg but he dashed away in a flurry of red and green petals to recover. "The trick is to not get overwhelmed. Keep the Grimm in front of you. Don't be afraid to fall back to a more defensive strategy if your aura has taken a hit." Raymond then dashed around with blinding speed sending Arthur flying when the blow was blocked. Raymond kept going and hit Arthur from behind knocking him down. Raymond pointed his sword in Arthur's face. "Lastly if the Grimm is bigger than you, stay away from its mouth. All the aura in the world won't help you get out of a Grimm's stomach." Raymond holstered his sword.

"I'm not done yet." Arthur said.

"I am. I don't have as much stamina as Acacia and it appears your aura rivals even hers. I'm just a mere mortal training someone that under the right circumstances can take an entire army." He said with a shrug. "We'll go on an actual hunt with Acacia tomorrow morning."

 **AN: And the fight went unaltered. I told you I like it. What do you think of Raymond's explanation between fighting humans and fighting Grimm? Leave a review, follow and favorite. And as always, stay classy.**


	6. Taiyang Xiao Long

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: From the chapter that changed the least to the chapter that changed the most. Basically I don't care for high school level drama. And it's why getting into STRQ fics is a challenge for me. So this is the story of how Taiyang met the loves of his life. Also as I rewrite this chapter, I just finished writing chapter 127, which, yeah, that was a thing.**

Chapter 6: Taiyang Xiao Long: Just a boy from Torch

Taiyang Xiao Long, self-proclaimed "Dragon of Torch." Was on cloud 9 when he first arrived at Beacon. Tai had, what he would consider, a pretty normal life. He had two pretty cool parents. His father was a cop and let him get away with just enough to make Tai have fun without ruining his life. And that was him in a nutshell. He liked causing trouble, but he liked to think he knew when to call it quits.

He was a teenager when he decided to be a huntsman. By that point he was the best fighter in Torch Academy. He knew several huntsmen had come from his family, but it wasn't an assured thing. Plenty of Longs had passed up their chance at being heroes in favor of a simpler life. But Tai didn't want simple. He wanted to be the very best that no one ever was. And to do that he had to train with the best, and fight with the best. That meant joining Beacon Academy and becoming a huntsman.

As the top fighter in his class, he passed with flying colors. Even if his other subjects were a bit…lacking. Yeah, lacking was putting it nicely. Not to say he flunked out. He had never gotten an F in his life. But he was firing off more Cs than a coffee shop. Whatever that means. "Terminally average student." Is what his English teacher said. And English was his best subject of the four cores. But he was competent enough in math. Descent in history. Science he wasn't so good at but he was still getting passing grades. He got straight As in gym and shop class. His weapon got one of the best scores in the class. That was something, right?

But those weren't the kind of grades that got you into Beacon. There were almost thirty combat schools all over the world. And only four Huntsmen Academies. Only 16-32 people would be accepted into each. Everyone else would just have to settle for local militias or police work. Or become a farmer or something.

But he made it. He got his transcripts approved. He passed a rigorous combat exam. Impressed the professors. And then hoped on the airship to Beacon. After listening, or rather pretending to listen to Headmaster Ozpin's coronation speech, he set up his pillow and blanket in the ball room. What a score, to have men and women all sleeping in the same room. Not that he would try anything in these circumstances. But he was a skilled window shopper to be sure. There were a few that caught his eyes. And when he took off his shirt he caught some of their eyes too. Yep, years of working out and training helped sculpt the perfect body. And he was turning a lot more heads without hamming it up than some people. Especially this one nerd with red eyes that tried chatting some blonde up only to be smacked in the face.

Same guy went to this smoking hot girl with dark hair. They looked to be related, they both had red eyes. Tai wasn't sure if he found that attractive but it was definitely memorable. Tai didn't bother socializing. He had four entire years to make conversation with his classmates. He just made a mental note of some girls who seemed interested.

The next day was initiation. Which involved being launched into the Emerald Forest and forced to find a partner. After knocking down some trees for his landing strategy, he made a beeline for what he hoped was the forest temple. Along the way he blasted some Grimm away with his gauntlets. Emerald forest was so well maintained and so widely used by Beacon students that all the Grimm couldn't be more than a few months old.

He got to a clearing and ran into the girl from before. The one with red eyes. He introduced himself and she said her name was Raven. She seemed pleasant enough. Or maybe Tai was just swooning over her body. Sometimes it's hard for him to tell if someone is actually being nice or polite, especially with a distracting body like that.

They ended up making it to the forest temple. Raven had somehow already found it and was just looking for a partner so that she could leave. Tai respected that. No need to do anything they didn't have to.

As they approached the temple they found two more people fighting a griffon close to the cliff. The Grimm was keeping them from being able to climb the cliff. The two others were Raven's brother Qrow and a white hooded girl named Summer. She had silver eyes, because, you know, Tai had to be the only one with normal eye color in this group.

Summer came up with a strategy to distract the griffon and aim for its wings with her rifle. Then Qrow could fly above it, because that was apparently his semblance, and smash down on it. The plan worked but the griffon wasn't down for the count yet. Qrow turned his sword into a scythe, which looked incredibly badass. As well as looking like he was over compensating for something.

He pinned the Griffon to the ground while Tai and Raven sliced and punched it at close range. This griffon was tough, probably older than most Grimm here. But Summer managed to pull him out before he could get swatted by the monster's claws. Raven and Qrow worked together to slice open its stomach while Summer smashed into it with her halberd and decapitated it. As she did so, white rose petals drifted in the wind.

After making it to the Cliffside they continued talking all the way back to Beacon. Ozpin held a welcome ceremony in the auditorium. Both groups had collected the "white bird" relics. And were christened team STRQ. Led by Summer Rose, the admittedly cute silver eyed girl that had probably saved his life. He was fine with that.

 **AN: Man, I'm blasting through this stuff. I've seen a lot of STRQ fics that try to up the ante on the initiation for this team (including one with goliaths). But I wanted it to be a little more, typical of a beacon team. Their moments to shine come after Beacon. And it will better show how far they come from all four having some trouble with a lone griffon to Qrow slicing one in half in an instant in the actual series. Leave a review. I particularly want to know how you're liking this more restraint writing style. Because if you don't, then I'll go back to a more RWBYond style for later chapters. So definitely review, follow and favorite.**


	7. Vale Knights

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: I hated the original chapter 7. Seriously, it was the chapter that had team STRQ running around the city doing nothing and introducing a character I made up on the spot just because I saw a theory about Pyrrha's mom maybe knowing Summer and that was the only reason chapter 7 was what it was. Seriously, screw that chapter, it's the worst thing I have ever written and will be purged from memory. No more record of it. This part of the story was originally chapter 8 but as I said, screw the original chapter 7, this is chapter 7 now.**

Chapter 7: Vale: The Beacon of Hope

Arthur had stayed on Patch for nearly a year. He learned what felt like everything he ever needed to know about the Grimm. And with this knowledge, the future enemies made much more sense. And, it improved Arthur's hope for said future. If a ragtag group of hunters had been the bane of the Grimm, then the mere act of uniting Remnant's mightiest heroes would surely spell certain victory.

But first they had to report to Vale. Vale had long been a Beacon of hope in times of darkness. At least that's what legends say. Apparently, Vale had actually begun gaining ground again. The purely defensive strategy was working much better than any offensive strategy that had been attempted in Arthur's lifetime. And a more direct intervention by Ozpin kept the Mistral marauders at bay.

"One year it has been since we last met." He said. "The king is none too pleased with your absence, but we have been gaining ground against Mistral thanks to Ozpin's direct intervention. And you," He bowed to Acacia, "it has been far too long since last we talked."

"Stop the groveling." Acacia said. "If you sank any lower you'd wake the dead." Raymond laughed at the comment.

"And who are you?" Corvus said looking Raymond over. He looked shock and then turned to Acacia.

"A resident of Patch and a dear friend." Acacia said, getting between Raymond and Corvus. "He helped me get established in Patch's defenses."

"Anyway, if you'll follow me, the king has some words for you." Corvus said.

"I'm afraid I'll have to decline." Acacia said. "If I ever see that deranged brute again I will surely bite him."

"But you must."

"No, I must get something to eat, I must take a shower, I must undo the mess that kings and queens have caused." She said. There was clearly no reasoning with her. "Come on Raymond."

"Actually I wanted to meet this king. Besides, what Arthur is about to propose is risky. He may need some help."

"What would he be planning?" Corvus inquired.

"You'll see Corvus." Arthur answered. "I hope that you'll actually join me." He said batting Corvus on the shoulder.

Afterwards Arthur talked to the king. He wasn't pleased with Acacia's absence, or Raymond's presence. But Arthur stuck to his guns. He announced that he wishes to get a coalition of the greatest warriors in Remnant in order to stop the threat of the Grimm. They are mankind's greatest common threat and the men Arthur has chosen would be fools for ignoring it. He went so far to renounce his knighthood and his citizenship and ask for likeminded folks to do the same. Only by renouncing the bonds of government, can people become heroes for all of Remnant. He used Acacia and Raymond as proof. They were adored on Patch and respected by all the nations for the work they do in fighting the Grimm.

Arthur called for the establishment of schools to train people to fight the Grimm. When asked where this school would be he answered that each kingdom should have one and Vale's should be in the old castle resting on the cliff at the far end of Vale Bay. It is large enough for all the facilities they would need. And Ozpin was already using it as his base of operations. The king scoffed all this as too expensive, and difficult with the war. That's why Arthur needed all the kingdoms to unite under one ideology for the common good of all men.

When asked what this ideology would be it was Raymond that answered. Heroes, legends scattered through time. Everyone is raised on the accounts of heroes and their journeys. The kingdoms will remain separate. Their territory maintained. But with a common enemy like the Grimm, they can finally stop fighting. Businesses that profit from war will still do so, only the war will be against the Grimm. Ozpin agreed with the sentiment and asked to see to this matter personally. So the group reconvened in Ozpin's personal throne atop Beacon tower.

Nobody knows when the tower was built or why it was originally abandoned. It predated Vale though. The city was founded on the coast, like any major city, and when it was established the Emerald Tower as it had been called was already there. In Arthur's youth, it was known as a gathering place for Grimm. But it had since become the base for Ozpin and the military force he commanded.

"So General, what is your first move." Ozpin said.

"There are two men whose abilities are matched only by the persuasion they have over their kingdoms. I need to speak with Orion Nikos in Mistral, I trust him and I know he shares my concerns. He is powerful, but more importantly reasonable." Arthur answered.

"That's going to be difficult. Mistral is suffering right now and we're the ones who caused it." Corvus said.

"But I didn't. Nikos is an ally as far as I'm concerned."

"He's also been put as the body guard to Helen Troy." Corvus answered.

"The queen of Mistral?" Arthur responded.

"The Fall Maiden." Acacia said. Arthur was shocked at the revelation. "What happened?" She asked.

"After you left she gave up any hope of piece." Ozpin answered. "She took her rightful place as Queen of Mistral after her father died. Without you or Amber, there was no reasoning with her. Now Elsa is our only ally in a different Kingdom. And she's betrothed to the Lord Schnee."

"That's unfortunate." She said. "I do like what you've done with the place though."

"I'm here for nostalgia perhaps." Ozpin said. "Perhaps I was tired of pushing away allies and wanted to give someone else a chance." He looked at Raymond. "You are an Argentware. We met not too long ago. So, have you realized the legend?"

"My father would never shut up about it. But I'm afraid they're just stories. Perhaps my ancestors were the first to unlock aura or successfully fight the Grimm or some other great feat that started the legend. But I've fought Grimm my whole life. I'm quite skilled at it. But I've never frozen a Grimm or made it cower in fear. That part of the legend isn't true."

"Perhaps you just haven't had the right motivator." Ozpin suggested.

"Stop!" Acacia shouted. "Raymond doesn't need any godly powers to fight the Grimm. He doesn't have them! So stop trying to make him into a weapon."

"Acacia I'm not…"

"But you always do. I respect what you do and all the good it does but Raymond is not a warrior he is a huntsman. The first of his kind and the best if I do say so myself. So there will not be any talk about your greater good or personal vendetta. We have real issues here and as far as any of your friends were able to find out it has nothing to do with Salem."

"Um, whose Salem?" Raymond asked.

"Ozpins opposite." Corvus answered.

"And his scape goat." Acacia added. "I was twelve years old when you found me and started filling my head with all these stories and getting me ready for a war when war was already here."

"Is this Salem, what's coming?" Arthur asked.

"Tell him the truth wizard." Acacia said.

"No, but she might use it as an opportunity to…" Ozpin started.

"Stow it old man." Acacia said. "All the time I spent on Patch and not one person who had even heard of Salem showed up. How do we even know she's alive?"

"She is and she's dangerous."

"You're paranoid and we need to focus on the Grimm before whatever's coming comes."

"We need General Nikos, but he fears Mordred." Arthur interrupted. "If we can get his trust than we could actually stand a chance at uniting the armies. We will go to Vacuo and plead our case to Mordred. Then, I will head to Mistral alone and meet with Nikos. From there we will set up a meeting of minds. To figure things out."

"I will go to Mantle and speak with our allies there." Ozpin said. "Corvus, you go with them. You know Vacuo better than anyone here."

And so with a plan in mind they parted ways. They headed for the horizon mountains and to the dessert beyond. The most dangerous place for a Valean to possibly be.

 **AN: A lot more dialogue in this chapter. And it didn't change much from the original chapter 8. Just a different start. Since I'm uploading all these revisions at once, I don't have any way to gage what you guys prefer. So keep those reviews coming. What do you prefer? I need to know before I do chapter 11 or anything after that (which won't come for another week after these revisions are up). Stay classy.**


	8. STRQ in Beacon

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: So the reason why I hated the original chapter 7 so much is because none of it was planned in advance. Because of that, everyone seemed out of character and I introduced a character I had absolutely no interest in to the point where they never made it into RWBYond Vale either. This chapter is going to be all over the place, but it'll sum up team STRQ's first year leading up to the tournament.**

Chapter 8: STRQ: The Coolest Team Ever.

Summer perhaps made a mistake of not laying down the law. She had just been so glad to be on such a promising team, and leading them nonetheless, that she…may have…let them get away with way too much.

It didn't take long for the dynamic to set in. Qrow and Raven were twins, they knew each other better than anyone ever would. And Tai was pretty much a typical jock. A jock whose mere act of smiling caused Summer's cheeks to go a deep shade of red. That might make things harder. But at least Raven wasn't having any of Tai's foolery.

They had most of their classes together. Summer excelled at all the science courses. Raven was the star student of all the practical courses like Dust 101 and Intro to Aura implementation. Qrow was actually really good at math. Both Branwens seemed to sleep-walk through History with nothing but A's. Tai was descent in the Literary class. But it seemed to set in that none of them, save for Summer, enjoyed the basic classes all students had. The practical classes were much better.

Taiyang, the brave fool, had paraded himself the first day of Combat Class. He claimed to be the best fighter in the freshman class. Raven challenged him and beat him. The two began resenting each other after that. Summer always wanted to stop them but Qrow said it was better to just let Raven vent when she wanted to. Taiyang had beaten nearly every other opponent that came his way. But unless the person was also a hand-to-hand specialist, he often only won by the narrowest of margins.

Qrow's weapon wowed audiences if nothing else. But it turns out that a scythe isn't the best weapon for fighting people. At least its sword mode was better. But the whole thing was too cumbersome to keep Qrow in the Top 5 ranking. Even though it hurt his pride, he knew he didn't design his weapon for such fights. Raven on the other hand was unstoppable. From day one she rested at the top of the leader board. Tai had even said, "It's like her bird nest or something." To which Raven booed, Qrow snickered, and Summer giggled.

Summer on the other hand was well above average. She coasted in the Top 5, usually at number 3 or 4. Never dropped below 5. Her weapon was simple and effective. Okay, so maybe not that simple. A halberd, axe, beam rifle with a chain and flail. Maybe it was just in comparison of Raven's rotating blade or the monstrosity Qrow slung around. Her real strength was her speed. The only one who could consistently keep up with her was Raven. And even then it was only in reflexes and not in mobility.

Tai didn't give up though. Every time Summer would implement one of the exercises she was taught in her Strategy and Tactics or Team Exercise (both leader only classes); Tai would use Raven as his sparring partner. Much to Summer's dismay. But that left her with Qrow.

Summer wasn't an idiot. She knew the dark headed boy had a crush on her. Summer would oblige him in her own way. But she wasn't really looking for a relationship. Sure, she had a bit of a crush on Tai, but it was a purely physical attraction. Not that she didn't love his personality, it just wasn't enough for Summer to change her mind and try dating. Especially since, through all their battles, it was obvious where his attention was.

Qrow would always sit across from her during and she would stay polite. Sometimes he would ask her for coffee, what girl in their right mind would turn down free coffee? He would even go through her leadership stuff with her. He wanted to be the best teammate ever, and that meant helping his leader become a stronger one. But even Raven had helped her with that.

Summer found out why one day. Raven thought that she should have been leader. She thought Summer was too lax and too nice to handle that level of responsibility. Raven didn't say it angrily but she still said it in a very snobby and condescending way. All of a sudden it made sense why Raven never listened to her and why she, and usually Tai, had their own workout schedule. Summer snapped after that.

She firmly, and calmly, told Raven to stop being such a spoiled brat. That she was trying her best which was really hard. And that all Raven had done in the last month I a half is be a stuck up little brat who thinks she's too good for everyone. And she ended with that won't be tolerated anymore.

Qrow tried diffusing the situation and Tai just sat back and started popping popcorn. Raven rose to Summer's challenge with a game. Not a standard sparring match in a dull arena. But with a fight in the courtyard where everyone could see. The combat instructor, Professor Phillip, tried stopping it but Ozpin let it slide. So long as they didn't destroy the courtyard.

Summer had unleashed a fury the likes of which she never knew. Raven used dust and the environment to her advantage. But Summer thrived in the more open airspace. The battle had been brief. Neither one of them had the aura reserves to take more than a few hits. But Raven won, but not until after being knocked on her but and nearly losing. But Summer hesitated, thinking Raven's aura had already been in the red from that blow.

After that, Raven opened up more to Summer. They went on a girl's night out. They talked about their pasts. And they found a kindred spirit with each other having both lost their mothers. After that, Summer took a mother hen approach. She cooked cleaned and dueled out discipline however she saw fit. Raven despised this approach, which made Summer enjoy it even more. Qrow seemed fine with it. But he'd probably jump off a cliff if Summer told him to. His infatuation was only growing every day. Tai on the other hand was neutral and appreciative. Granny Glens always did say that the fastest way to anyone's heart was their stomach.

 **AN: That's going to be it for this chapter. So, again, this is very much the way someone would be recapping the events to say…a young Ruby Rose. Which was always my intent. But I'm not sold on this style. It will persist for the next chapter but chapter 10 (I'm switching the original 9 and 10) will be STRQ vs. BLAC. So that'll have more of the style you can expect from the guy behind RWBYond Vale.**


	9. The Vacuo Raiders

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: The Old Huntsmen segments are more interesting for me than the STRQ stuff right now. But it will get better. But this chapter will remain pretty much unchanged fromit's original form, save for becoming chapter 9 instead of 10.**

Chapter 9: The Old Huntsmen of the Mountain Pass

Raymond had never been this far away from home. He and his companions were on the edge of Vale. The mountain pass had a reputation for being the site of numerous battles between Vale and Vacuo. Raymond couldn't help but notice Arthurs nervousness as they made their way through the mountain pass.

"I would have thought that a place that held so many battles would have more to show for it." Raymond said.

"Vacuo has a policy to not let anything go to waste." Arthur said.

"In ancient Vacuan society; waste was a crime punishable by death." Corvus added.

"From this point on; we are invaders of Vacuo." Arthur stated. "Proceed with caution." They marched up the mountain pass and crossed into the desert. Everything was quiet, deathly quiet. The wind was blowing gently on Raymond's red scarf. He looked down and saw a shadow. The shadow was getting bigger by the second until he realized what it was. He barely dodged the boulder in time and grabbed his sword. "It's Mordred!" Arthur called out. A massive gust of wind blew sand into Raymonds eyes. Raymond grabbed Acacia's hand as she tried using her maiden powers. Acacia was struck and grunted in pain and Raymond felt a boot hit his chest. He was carried away but it didn't seem like it was from the force of the kick. No, it was something else.

"His semblance is gravity." Raymond said as he stabbed a rock to stop his fall.

"I know…" Arthur was cut off by a choking cry.

"General Arc." A low voice said. The sand cleared and a large man in purple and red, with long black hair was holding Arthur up with one hand. "I gave you a warning to never cross my path again."

"We came here in peace." Arthur said.

"We have a message for you." Corvus said.

"What would a team of Valeans need to say to me?" Mordred inquired. Acacia smacked into him with all her might, freeing Arthur.

"My name is Acacia Glens, maiden of spring. I have asked Arthur to help escort me into an audience with you."

"Glens?" Mordred said. "I heard you retired."

"Only from fighting my fellow man."

"Then what Thurston said is true."

"Thurston? You know General Thurston?" Arthur said.

"Thurston is a savior of Vacuo. It is my business to make ally with those who share my belief." Mordred stated. "Thurston! You were right. It seems that Vale really has figured it out."

"What?" Raymond said.

"Ozpin predicted this would happen." Corvus said. "He's not the only one who knows what's going on."

"I was counting on it." Arthur said with a smile. "I knew you were a smart man. If I figured out the true cost of war I knew you would too."

"Flattery will only get you so far." A youthful voice said. Raymond turned around and saw a young woman with bronze skin and brown braided hair. She wore the mask of a nemian.

"Grimm mask?" Raymond said.

"Who are you?" Arthur said.

"I am Thurston." The masked woman said.

"General Thurston is a woman?" Arthur said. Acacia pushed him aside and stood face to face with Thurston.

"You can change your clothes." Acacia said. "Change your hair style, wear a mask and even change your name. But I can see it in your eyes. So tell me why you made me think you were gone forever Amber."

"Amber?" Raymond said. "Your friend?"

"The Summer Maiden." Corvus said.

"Just when everything descends into madness, you find a little bit of sense yet."

"I didn't change my name, not to hide anyway." Thurston held up her hand to show a wedding band. "I got married, to an engineer named Renton Thurston. Together we…joined a group of likeminded individuals. I've been defending my home ever sense."

"And together we have been uniting the Vacuo Raiders to protect against the Grimm. The ones you have undoubtedly united against." Mordred added.

"Acacia I'm sorry but…I couldn't be a pawn in Ozpin's schemes anymore. Not after Helen left. Not after you lost all hope."

"Hope that is lost is found again." Acacia brushed up against Raymond's hand causing the taller man to blush. "This is Raymond Rose. A dear friend, who gave me hope and purpose during my exile on Patch."

"We no longer follow the government." Arthur said. "The kings are corrupt and arrogant. In order to save the world from what's coming we need to unite under an ideal." Arthur said.

"Vacuo has no king." Mordred said. "Only those strong enough to survive. We will help you. And with us all the raiders of Vacuo will stand."

"There is still the matter of Atlas." Corvus said. "I will head over there in the morning and speak with some people I trust to be on our side."

"I will head to Mistral and speak with General Nikos." Arthur said. "I would like it if one of you maidens joined me."

"We both will." Thurston said. "I'm the only one that can get through to Helen."

"A corrupt maiden as queen." Mordred said. "I don't like it."

"We may not have a choice." Thurston said. "The one who told me these things says he has a contact in Mistral we might try. By day he goes by Phil Trident. But by night he goes by Kraken, just as I go by Nemian and my dear husband goes by Taijitu."

"Grimm?" Corvus said.

"Yes it's a gimmick within the organization."

"Who is your boss?"

"That isn't my secret to tell."

 **AN: If you read RWBYond Vale than you know the name of Thurston's boss. Hope you enjoyed. He is a pretty beloved character in RWBYond Vale. As is her son. And Allister made a great villain for one of the arcs.**


	10. STRQ vs BLAC

**AN: So the only change to this chapter, other than its placement is the first paragraph added. The reason is, and it's the same as why the previous chapter didn't change at all, is because they were written with this style in mind. So there wasn't much need to change them. Another reason is that, the same night I write this, I got done writing RWBYond Vale 129, the longest chapter in the whole freaking story. And because I'm busy tomorrow, I have to write chapter 130 as well as this and the previous chapters. And I might even have to write the first chapter of RWBYond Destiny tonight or tomorrow before I leave because I won't have my computer but I will have internet.**

Chapter 10: STRQ vs. BLAC

The Vytal festival had begun. The parade and the dance weren't anything to note. Except Qrow did have a dance with Summer. But so did Tai and Raven. They all danced with everyone. But that's not what he was looking forward too.

Qrow was ready to fight. Amity was crowded and cheering, primarily for the home team. Raven kept chastising him to not let it get to his head. But how could he not. Especially since his team rocked, at least in fighting, and they were going to put a beat down on the Blackwaters. Team BLAC of Atlas were a fan favorite from Atlas. But to their rotten luck they were put against the coolest team in Beacon. Qrow looked around at his team. Tai was waving to the audience and winking over at the group of fangirls that were holding up signs with his picture. Raven shot dirty looks at a crowd of boys doing the same for her. And Summer was…smiling and waving at the other team.

"Best of luck!" Summer told them. "May the best team win."

"I just want to get this over with." Their leader said. Berry Musgrave has pale green eyes and purple hair. He wore a simple grey suit with a black tie and held a cane in his hand.

"I don't think I can do it Berry." Chrome said. Chrome Blackwater was the youngest person to be accepted into Atlas. He had silver hair and black eyes and wore a black sweater and sweat pants. "Those girls are so pretty. I don't know how to deal with it you know."

"Well then deal with Qrow and leave Raven to me." Lunaria said. She wore a Victorian style waistcoat and trench coat. And wore long black leggings leading to her boots. Her long Black hair was in a bun, poking out of her little hat and falling over her thin glasses. Qrow had dealt with Lunaria Blackwater more times than he cared to. This was the perfect time to exercise a little pent up family rivalry. It was no secret that the Branwens and Blackwaters have hated each other for a long time now. And the fact that the whole generations worth of them were on the stadium, well that was too perfect.

"I guess I'll get the one with the fangirls then." Animal Kane said. Animal had a wild said of brownish-blonde hair and wore a simple blue sweater with a black collar. A far cry from his sharply dressed teammates.

"Don't be scared Chrome." Summer said. "This is just a friendly competition."

"Summer stop fraternizing with the enemy." Raven said.

"I trying to be nice. Vytal is supposed to be about peace not war."

"3...2…1…Begin." The announcer said. Lunaria jumped towards Raven but Qrow intercepted her in mid-air as Raven took a swing at Chrome. Chrome pulled out a short, double-edged sword and blocked it.

"I don't want to fight you. I don't know how to deal with it you know."

"That makes two of us." Qrow called out, earning a snarl from Raven. Animal's arms doubled in size as he engaged in a fist fight with Tai. Lunaria wielded a giant cleaver in her hand and the two engaged in a bladed fight.

"I've waited for this for a long time." Lunaria taunted.

"Me too." Qrow said pushing forward. Berry was fighting summer, his cane turning into a whip to keep Summer at a distance. Qrow focused on Lunaria as the two clashed blades. Qrow had a height and range advantage but Lunaria was matching him in strength and speed. Lunaria flung him into a pillar in the city ruins biome. Qrow looked over and saw Raven hit Chrome with her sword.

"That won't work you know." Chrome said sleepily. "I'm a Blackwater." A massive black efreet rose from his back and took the form of a pitch black monster with a white 'x' over its face. The apparition smashed the ground.

"It would appear the Blackwater lad has activated his semblance. Familiar allows him to summon the dark efreet to help defend him." The announcer said. Raven was forced to keep her distance as she attempted to counter the goliath. Chrome raised his sword and swung unleashing a torrent of black energy hurling towards Raven. Raven dodged and the energy was now heading towards Qrow and Lunaria.

"Don't overdo it Chrome." Lunaria said. Qrow turned into a bird as she was distracted and used the energy wave to conceal his moves. He flew right in her face, causing her to freak out and then he changed back to smack her into a pillar.

She unfolded her weapon so now it looked like a scythe. The radius of the semi-circle blade was the same length as the cleaver handle. The blade extended as she leaped on top of a building and started firing the weapons blunderbuss. Qrow ran to the side and fired his own shotgun. The two fired back and forth hitting each other at least once. Lunaria leaped from the building to slash at Qrow but Qrow countered with a heavy strike. Lunaria summoned her familiar, a ravenous wolf and it charged Qrow. This was as good a place as any. Qrow switched to scythe mode and spun it around rapidly, butchering the familiar. Lunaraia didn't last much longer. Qrow had greater rech, more power, and his overall scythe skill simply out did Lunaria.

"Lunaria Blackwater is out by knockout." The announcer stated.

"Damn." Lunaria said punching the ground.

Summer was still keeping pace with Berry as the two traded blows but Summer was able to out maneuver him and sent him flying out of the ring after tying up his feet with her chain and smacking him with her halberd. Tai and Animal were still in their boxing match over in the geyser fields. Raven took a big hit from Chrome and collapsed.

"Raven Branwen has been eliminated."

Chrome didn't stop though. He kept moving towards Raven. There was something unnatural about his movements. He staggered with each step. His head hung low. He wasn't in control. The efreet smiled wickedly. Qrow saw his father and Mr. Blackwater move from their seats. Instincts took over Qrow's body.

"Raven!" He shouted running towards her. She stumbled and failed to get up. Chrome's familiar raised its hand to smack her and then, Summer pushed her out of the way and took the hit. Summer was smacked into Qrow and Qrow heard the buzzer. His aura was now in the red. Two more buzzers went off.

"Taiyang Xiao Long and Animal Kane have boxed each other into a double knockout."

Summer dashed forward, she was the only one who could stand up against Chrome now. Lunaria and the others shouted at him to calm down. That he was letting that thing take control. Summer pleaded with him as well. But Summers attacks were focused on the efreet.

"I don't know how to deal with it you know." Chrome complained. "It feels so comforting. Efreet is my friend and he protects me."

"He's trying to kill my friend." Summer argued.

"That's not my fault. I just don't know how to deal with him you know." Chrome trembled as Summer shot at the apparition. Clearly it was exponentially stronger than Lunaria's familiar.

"I can help you deal with it." Summer said. Her body was glowing white as she ran around Chrome at the speed of a hurricane. She used all that momentum to cut through the familiar and destroy it. Chrome shouted in pain as he passed out. Summer caught him and embraced him as he was trembling. Qrow had finally made his way to Raven who was already being comforted by Tai. Summer handed Chrome off to his team.

"We have a victor. Team STRQ of Beacon will be progressing to the second round." Summer cheered for a second before dashing over to Raven.

"Why?" Raven said. "Why did you jump in front of him like that?"

"Sometimes when a friend is in trouble your body just moves." Summer answered.

"You shouldn't have taken that hit. You should have hit him instead."

"I wasn't thinking. I just moved. One day I hope you'll understand."

"You really are naïve." Raven said. Qrow gave a little chuckle. Sacrifice wasn't really something he, nor Raven understood. But he was glad that Summer had done what she did. Qrow looked up at his father who just wore an unpleasant grin on his face.

 **AN: So that's the gist of it. Team BLAC will make a couple more appearances in this and Chrome played a small role in RWBYond. But that's it for the update. Got to write that last chapter of RWBYond Vale now. Check back in about a week (after RWBYond Destiny ends) for new chapters every day.**


	11. Corvus and the Lords of Mantle

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: The Old Huntsmen segments are more interesting for me than the STRQ stuff right now. But this is the first chapter not to be rewritten at all. This kicks off a week of STRQ: Old Huntsmen chapters for my profile.**

Chapter 11: Corvus Branwen and the Guardians of Mantle

Corvus made the long trek from Vacuo to the city of Atlas, capital of Mantle. His blackbird form granted him safe passage above the numerous military encampments in the kingdom. Atlas had long been a fortress of a kingdom. Yet, they had been the most aggressive, especially against Vacuo.

He arrived at his destination, the Schnee estate, where there was some kind of ball going on. He perched himself on a ledge and spotted his contact. Elsa Gloss, the winter maiden, was dancing with Lord Jackson Schnee. She wore an immaculate dress of white and baby blue. He wore a perfectly tailored white military suit.

They looked so happy together. They were childhood friends. And the Schnees were descended from the original Winter maiden. And the various incarnations of winter had always had a place within the Schnee's company, whether as a spouse, sibling, heir, or body guard. It was pointless to keep the maidens a secret from the Schnee lord.

Elsa took notice of him and following the song gave Jackson a formal bow before she parted for the balcony. Corvus descended onto a gargoyle before changing his form. Elsa leaned against the parapet above him and said her greetings. Corvus explained the current situation to her. She was overcome with joy at Amber and Acacia coming back together and she expressed her desire to see her sisters soon.

"Elsa, the decisive hour is upon us." Corvus warned.

"Aye, that much I had assumed." Elsa said with grace. "Jackson is with us in our endeavor, he knows all about the coming threat and is using his prestige to expand awareness of the Grimm."

"You told him everything?" Corvus said a bit crossed.

"Corvus, whether you like it or not, he is my fiancé. I am not in the habit of keeping secrets from him. He is a good man, the most wonderful I know. He too, grows tired of this war. He seeks peace within the kingdom. He wishes to bring the knowledge and technological might of Mantle to the world. Like Prometheus of ancient Mantle legend, he wishes to give man the next evolution of fire."

"Do you trust him?" Corvus asked coldly.

"I trust him far more than I trust any of you." Elsa shot back coldly. Obviously she was taking offense to Corvus' doubt around her lover.

"Duchess Gloss." A grave yet familiar voice said. "Lord Schnee wishes for a toast and desires you at his side."

"I'll be there immediately Lord Black Water." She said with a giddiness Corvus had never heard from her. Corvus sighed as he heard her walking away rather quickly.

"Oh to be young and in love." Damian Blackwater said. He flipped from the balcony onto a neighboring gargoyle. His unkempt grey hair and beard looked out of place for the formal occasion. As did his dark suit and flowing trench coat. "Hello darkness my old friend."

The two rivals and allies starred at the starry sky peaking from the nearby mountains. The two shared all the important information and news from the months since last they spoke. Damian had even brought him a drink, having spied Elsa conversing on the balcony.

"Three months, and we'll be having the meeting on neutral ground." Corvus said. "That's if everything goes smoothly. I will keep you posted if the time table moves for whatever reason."

"Aye, but if it's the strongest this, General Arc desires, then there is but one name to convince…Roman Ebony." Damian explained where to find General Ebony, and that she had no love for the other kingdoms. Corvus would need to convince.

Corvus set out to Crete, where Roman Ebony stood as the first line of defense. Ebony's reputation preceded her. She had battled Hayan Wukong to a standstill and had at one point, bested May Long. Corvus knew he had no chance in a fight. But all he had to do was give the invitation and hope that Damian, Elsa and Schnee could take care of the rest.

He tracked her down to the town of Corinth. A battle had just been fought. Ebony herself battled numerous Grimm. Everytime she stood still she became immovable. At the end of the battle, a few survivors were tied up with Ebony interrogating them. All but one wore the colors of Vacuo. The other looked to be from Mantle, but then Ebony pulled a Vacuan coin from his pocket.

Corvus watched the altercation from his perch on a building. She threw the coin through the traitor's eye and left him in agony. The others began panicking. One said something about a queen, which Corvus was unaware that Vacuo had a queen. Ebony was surprised as well as she shot the prisoner in the stomach for more information.

When she got all that she could she killed them in cold blood. Corvus noticed that she was careful not to get blood on her clothes. Corvus made sure he bore no marker of kingdom allegiances. Though he knew his reputation would also likely precede him.

"General Ebony." He called from the shadows.

"What is it you want Branwen?" She said.

"You know who I am?"

"I saw you perched on that building. That type of blackbird isn't native to Mantle. And even if it had somehow found its way this far north, it would have flown away from the sound of gunfire."

"So you saw me all that time." He said.

"I considered you shooting you under the assumption that you were a spy. But Lord Blackwater has told me about you. He says you are a friend to Mantle?"

"I am a friend of Duchess Gloss and Lord Blackwater…and an ally for all of humanity."

"All? There's no point in stretching yourself thin. It is smarter to protect you and yours than to care for kingdoms that would just as soon see you lynched." She spoke with a venom in her voice. If she did know him she would know that he mostly works for Vale, and calls it home. But his ancestors originate in Vacuo. That always made his family important as watchers of Remnant.

"I'm not asking you to care…I'm sure the others will explain it to you in a way I can't. But the thing that is coming, the things that are already here, they are a threat to Atlas as much as anybody else."

"I'm listening." She said coldly.

 **AN: People coming here from RWBYond Vale will recognize Jackson Schnee and Roman Ebony from the Dead and the Damned arc. And from that same part of that story (and the previous chapters here), they'll recognize the name Blackwater. I try (to varying degrees of success to give these Great War era people a more archaic form of talking. Let me know what you think with a review. And while you're at it, follow and favorite for updates everyday this week.**


	12. The Truth and those it Destroys

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: I'm scratching my head on how this chapter is still in my outline. Back when I made the stupid decision to try to build all the mystery and thrills in this story (which was dumb because having those elements in RWBYond was so much better) this was going to be an integral chapter. But I think it could still be interesting.**

Chapter 12: The Truth and Those It Destroys

Raven dashed towards her opponent to the cheers of the crowd. She swung across Flare's chest then swung down with an over hand strike. She flipped backwards and slung a pair of blade beams at the woman, knocking her off balance. Raven darted forward with a killer intent and cut along her opponent's stomach, ending the fight.

She dropped to one knee and began panting. Flare Photos was far and away the most difficult opponent she had ever fought. But it was over. All of Vale was cheering. After a rough start to the tournament, an easy battle side by side with Tai, and three solo fights, Raven Branwen had won the 28th Vytal Festival Tournament.

Her team rushed around her. Tai picked her up as they cheered. She couldn't even move her leg, and she was pretty sure she had gone temporarily blind in one eye due to Flare's semblance. Qrow gave her a wink and a thumbs up and Summer gave her a massive embrace. Raven softly hugged her back and sighed in content.

Raven couldn't help but feel that Summer should have been the one to move forward. On paper sure, Raven and Tai had the most tricks left up their sleeve after the battle with team BLAC. Summer had exhausted every trick in her book to carry them to victory in what was being declared "The Greatest Vytal Tournament Fight in Decades" by the newspapers.

In all honesty, they could have sent any combination and won that second round. Raven and Summer could have overwhelmed them with their speed. Qrow and Raven could have set them up and knocked them down. Summer and Tai had the speed-strength combo going on. Even Tai and Qrow could have overwhelmed them with strength. But Summer had been adamant that Tai and Raven be the ones that go. They trained together the most. They could watch each other's weaknesses. And between the two of them, they were ready for anything.

Summer had also taken advantage of her free time and actually befriended Chrome Blackwater. He still didn't seem all there, but when Summer was around he was at least happy. And he had no fear of his powers so long as Summer was around. That bit of observation came from his team.

After conducting the arbitrary interviews and collecting her prize, Raven went back into her room. Summer was waiting for her at the door to the dorm building and asked what Raven wanted to eat. Summer wanted to celebrate by making whatever Raven wanted.

At the height of the party, just as Summer was pulling a set of pastries out of the oven, Deacon Blackwater walked in alongside Professor Ozpin and her father. Her father congratulated her, formally but the conversation quickly turned against her.

They were much more interested in talking to Summer. Apparently Blackwater had worked with her parents in the past and was particularly interested in the skill she showed during the first round. Summer bashfully brushed off their badgering to try to put the focus back on Raven. And when her father turned the conversation towards the Faunas movement, Summer was getting extremely uncomfortable.

Open conflict between Faunas and the various kingdoms was getting more and more common. They were demanding full societal implementation. Mantle especially, had denied their requests and sent them to the island of Menagerie, where they can maintain their culture. Mistral was in a hot seat from this, since the island was in their territory. It appeared that only Vacuo, and to a lesser extent Vale, cared to have Faunus within their population. And Mantle just wanted to use them for degrading labor.

But Ozpin had a gamble, that someone of Summer's qualities could ease the tensions before they got too high. Summer was reluctant to give an answer. Agreeing to Ozpin's plans would cause the Faunas to continue to be treated unfairly. But dissenting would cause them to rebel, which could cause bloodshed. Summer's good mood had completely diminished into a stammering mess of anxiety. So Raven answered for her.

"Absolutely not." Raven said.

"Raven be reasonable." Craven argued.

"I am. Maybe a revolution is just what you old fools need. The Faunas have been unfairly blamed for the Great War for far too long. And if a revolution is what it takes to get you to listen then so be it."

"Raven it's not that simple." Ozpin cut in.

"You said yourself, that discrimination and division is a disease." Raven cut in. "Or did you forget the ENTIRE point of the Huntsmen." She eyed her father. "Grandfather was there. He saw what division among people did. He played a hand in fixing it. If this is the next step, then you should either aide it or ove out of the way of progress."

"I will not be talked down by you." Craven said. Blackwater rubbed his brow.

"It's out of huntsmen hands." Blackwater said. "The people of the Mantle military, the higher ups in Atlas Academy, my own superior, are submitting to the rule of those with power. People like Eiess Schnee, are trying to conserve the way of life they've enjoyed since the end of the Great War. My father was there as well. And he feared this would happen so long as men retained power. It is a fear I share as well."

"Then can't you do something about it?" Qrow asked.

"The headmasters hold power but we still answer to the kingdom's councils." Ozpin explained.

"The headmaster of Atlas is being forced to submit to the council's will." Blackwater said. "We're looking at a full-on military occupation. And if that happens, and it will happen so long as the Faunas continue to dissent, then it will violate international law for the huntsmen to get involved."

"We don't answer to the kingdoms, likewise we can't do anything that puts us at war with them." Craven said.

"The Faunas are angry. A huntsman recently failed to save a Faunas child from a Grimm." Ozpin said. "It could have easily been avoided and the people of Menagerie are holding us responsible. We have to act quickly to pick a side, and this is the best course of action for all parties."

"Raven's right." Summer finally spoke up. "If you knew my parents so well then you would know that they believed in helping as many people as possible…no matter what. And what I'm hearing is that a bunch of bullies are trying to be mean to people who just want to sit in the same room as people like us. And if that's so bad…well then maybe you forgot what bad is!" She pointed a finger at the door. "Now grab a pastry and help us celebrate…or leave."

 **AN: Being sick is not fun but I tough it out for you guys. I don't want to take a break and then lose my drive to keep going. We are on the verge of revolution. One of the reasons I keep this so…summarized…is that I don't think I have enough tact to make all this stuff work if I were to go into detail. Especially since all the twists and turns are in RWBYond Vale. Please review, follow and favorite.**


	13. Spartan Sailor Soldier Sovereign

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: And back to the Old Huntsmen to introduce the least interesting batch of characters for this half of the story. The founders of Haven are just nowhere near as interesting as the generation that succeeds them. But then again that group contains Necros, Blaze and Mantis so it's not exactly fair. Either way, not as much thought went into this as the last two Great War era chapters.**

Chapter 13: Spartan, Sailor, Soldier Sovereign

Arthur, Amber, Acacia and Raymond had made it to Haven in record time. The summer maiden was something to behold, able to summon dark portals that took the group anywhere they desired. Raymond was sent off upon their arrival, in order to secure provisions and lodging for their stay. Arthur and Acacia gave Amber their weapons, it would be better for them not to be seen as a threat. Amber went off to find her associate, the one called Kraken.

Arthur and Acacia arrived at the palace. They asked to seek an audience with Orion Nikos. When asked who was calling for him, they answered, an important comrade. Acacia came with the idea that it would be best to meet him in a place of his choosing, in order to decrease the chance of the pair being perceived as threats. General Nikos sent word to fetch them, and bring them to his private quarters.

"As I live and breathe, the Yellow Death as come to Mistral unarmed." Nikos said.

"I have come here as a friend, not as a soldier." Arthur said.

"Aye, word has spread that you no longer fight for Vale but for yourself." Nikos said. "Tell me, have you become a lowly mercenary, or perhaps you have retired and become a farmer and wish to sell your crops in my city."

"Nothing quite so humble or degrading." Arthur replied.

"Hmm." Nikos put a thumb to his chin. "And who is your lady friend? She doesn't match the description of your wife."

"My name is…" Acacia started with some anger at the implication.

"Who she is isn't as much consequence to you as it is your queen." Arthur interrupted. Acacia's nostrils flared at the rude ploy.

"My name is Acacia; I am an old friend of Helen." Acacia said.

"You will address her as Queen Troy, or her Sovereignty." Nikos spat out.

"Perhaps you must Spartan, but you will find that I may address her however I please." Acacia spat out. Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Acacia please, don't start an altercation." Arthur pleaded.

Arthur calmed the two of them down and explained the situation. Apparently, Nikos had heard the rumors of what was going on from Phil Trident, Amber's contact. Arthur explained that Trident was in an organization whose influence ran through all kingdoms, including General Thurston of Vacuo. He explained that Thurston was also with them and making contact with Trident. The ultimate goal being to reach an audience with Queen Troy for a temporary peace in order to combat the Grimm.

Acacia explained that Queen Troy, Amber Thurston and herself were maidens. And she explained what that meant for Remnant. If they could join together, then so could their kingdoms. After hearing all this, Nikos agreed to help them, though he was truly nervous upon hearing Mordred's involvement.

They parted ways and met back up with Amber and Raymond. It only took one day for Queen Troy to respond. But she would only meet with Amber and Acacia. This left Arthur, Raymond, Nikos, and Trident all in another room, along with Queen Troy's personal bodyguard, a woman named Quincy Adele.

Quicy Adele had a stocky build and a burgundy military uniform. Her brown hair matched her eyes and was tied in a bun. Trident on the other hand was a short pasty man. He wore powdered blue sailing clothes and sported slick, baby blue hair.

Trident and Raymond made small talk. Apparently Trident's uncle was Lago Azul, a famous sailor and merchant who had made his way through Patch before. Trident was also curious about Raymond's eyes and the legends surrounding them.

Quincy was burning holes in the back of Arthur's head, she was a decorated soldier. And it was obvious she didn't trust Arthur. Nikos on the other hand challenged Arthur to a game of chess. The two talked about where their lives were at since last they met. More and more people died from the Grimm every day. At this rate, by next year, Grimm casualties will be higher than war casualties and that's not taking into account the legendary Grimm that were on their way.

Trident concurred with a story of a giant Grimm that contained the features of a man and a scorpion. The Grimm attacked a nearby village, and its mere presence brought the people to tears. And no matter what they through at it, nothing could pierce its armor. Trident called the monster Weep, and it is undoubtedly one of the legendary monsters they will be uniting against. Trident also explained, that through his associates, he knows the power these Grimm hold, but their form is different with each resurrection.

Quincy Adele did not like that prospect. She chastised Trident for withholding this information until now. To which he countered, that Queen Troy has known this far longer than he has. Quincy's pride seemed hurt by that remark and she remained silent for the rest of the time.

After hours, the three maidens emerged. And for the first time, Arthur set his eyes upon the Fall Maiden. She practically reeked of royalty. Her long brown hair was ridiculously elaborate. Her dress, made of the finest material and put together with the same intricate care that may be given a clock.

Arthur and Raymond made their introductions. And Queen Troy accepted their bows. She accepted their pleas for help, but refused to go to any sovereign kingdom. Her involvement would be limited to Mistral and the Lost Kingdom, as well as neutral islands. She also refused to meet with any politicians or rulers of the other kingdoms. In short, anyone with any vendetta against her, anyone that the other maidens could not personally vouch for, and anyone named Ozpin or Salem, were not allowed in her presence.

Arthur accepted her terms. And also asked that she not go anywhere without an escort of her greatest men. She had power as the fall maiden, but that along with her position made her a target for just about anyone. Queen Troy thanked him for his nobility and sent them off. They would meet at a position of her choosing in a week's time.

 **AN: Again, this is a simplified version of a full story. I could go into way more detail and flesh out way more people, but then it will be almost not for note what RWBYond Vale ended up being. That's another reason why this is so different in terms of structure.**


	14. House of STRQ

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: This chapter title, living proof that you don't have to watch Game of Thrones, to make a Game of Thrones reference. In all seriousness I had pretty cool ideas for this chapter, but I'm not sure how it'll turn out.**

Chapter 14: House of STRQ

It was a time of celebration. After today, Tai would officially be a huntsman. It had taken four, long, agonizing years, but they did it. Team STRQ was graduating. They had already gone on plenty of missions, killed impossibly huge monsters, stopped criminal empires and garnered quite the reputation. In short, none of the four members would ever have to worry about not getting job offers.

Really, Tai felt sort of left out. Raven was already a living legend, Summer was valedictorian and Qrow had become Ozpin's right hand man. But Tai, he was the other guy. He wasn't ever invited for idle chatter with the headmaster. He never got to have dinner with councilmen. Children of Vale never asked for his autograph. He was still in the top five for the class overall, team STRQ was just that good. Nothing could ever stop them.

So Tai sat there in his chair. He listened to councilmen and professors speak before Summer would take the stage. He pictured what his life would be like. Summer had been the one to plan it out. She nearly broke down crying when she started writing her speech last week. She realized that as soon as she leaves Beacon she'd be alone. Her best friend on Patch had her own growing family to raise. Her Granny, had passed away just a year earlier. All she had left was an empty house in the middle of the woods. And when she started preparing, and started writing a speech about the future, it all dawned on her.

So team STRQ were going to stick together. It wasn't uncommon, at least for recent graduates. They had just spent the last four years living together in the same room. It was only natural to share a three-bedroom house. All three other members agreed to it. At least until they decide they're fed up with each other and go their spate ways. Which Tai didn't see happening anytime soon. They had all become inseparable. Tai followed Raven like a puppy, both Branwens followed Summer around the same, and Summer usually followed Tai in the same manner.

Tai was pulled from his thoughts when Summer took the stage. She looked great in her green graduation robes. She frantically gathered her note cards and coughed into the mic. She starred awkwardly at the crowd as she composed herself.

"Friends, fellow students, teachers, and other designated officials. My name is Summer Rose. Today, my team and I, as well as a dozen other individuals are becoming official Huntsmen. We all have our reasons, we all have our goals, we all have our dreams. But I wanted to tell you…that I'm not usually one for talk. I'm not one for big pretty speeches. But what I am for…are stories."

"So let me tell you a story. At the end of the Great War, the strongest warriors in Remnant united to defeat a horde of Grimm that threatened to consume the entire world. This group included knights, generals, royalty, nobility, lowly guardians, heroes of legend, and heroes long forgotten. They united, not under a flag, but under an ideal. An ideal that humanity is not only stronger together, but only strong together. An ideal that all men and women were worth saving. Regardless of whether they were from Mantle, Vale, Mistral, Vacuo, or outside kingdom borders. Regardless of if they were men or women, rich or poor, young or old, nobility or peasant, black or white, full human or Faunas." She let that last part sink in, much to the dismay of a large portion of the crowd. Summer bit her lip before she proceeded.

"I believe, just as my parents and their parents before them believed, that being a hero isn't about glory, or freedom, or winning. It's about doing everything in your power to help as many people as you can whenever you need to, not when it's convenient. I don't know why all of you are here, and if you're reasoning is different than mine that's fine. But I know why I am here. I am here to do everything in my power, to bring as much light to the world in this dark time. Three years ago, after the Vytal Festival, I was asked to use my power, my personality, the fact that so many people were already adoring me, to quell the riots caused by the Faunas Liberation Front." There was subtle chatter in the crowds.

"There is evil in the world. And some of it is in us humans, and when I say humans I mean full humans and Faunas. We become so comfortable in our lives, that we ignore the cries of others. We forget, that despite whatever differences we have, the Grimm don't care. They see us all as prey. And the more we divide ourselves. The more we put arbitrary borders in our sub-groups, the easier we make the Grimm's goal. And keeping that from happening, is the first and foremost job of a huntsmen."

"I wanted to end with some thanks. Thank you Taiyang, for being the best friend I could have asked for. Over the years we've pulled each other's fat out of the fire. Your jokes and comments made even the most stressful and life threatening situations so much fun. Thank you Raven, for being the sister I never had. These last four years have been eye opening. You taught me what it means to have conviction. You opened my eyes to so much wrong in the world and I solemnly believe that together, we can make it so much better. Thank you Qrow, for helping me get Raven out of her shell. Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for being my partner. If the cards fell differently, I can see myself getting along with others outside of Tai and Raven, but I can't picture any of it working without you. If Raven and Tai are the hands and body, and I'm the soul, you are the brains. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Thank you Glynda, I look forward to seeing your speech here in two years. When you first introduced yourself and Octavia, and said how much you looked up to my team, I actually ran back into my room and cried tears of joy. And I want to say, that I'm proud of how much you've grown these last two years."

"Thank you Professors, especially you Ozpin, for pushing me further than I ever thought I could go. I could never have imagined that this world was so big. But you gave me a glimpse of it. And I want to see more."

"This isn't the end, it's a new chapter. I think I speak on behalf of the entire class when I say this. I am ready for the world. My time here is just a foundation. Just like how combat school prepared me us for Beacon so too does Beacon prepare us for the hard lessons, the real world. Thank you, and have a nice day."

She gave a bow to a loud applause. After the ceremony, they all went back to the room and packed their bags. Tai said goodbye to his family as they boarded the plane to Patch. Once there, their lives as adults and huntsmen would begin.

They spent months together on Patch. They were rarely all four there at the same time though. They kept themselves busy with missions and mostly used Summer's childhood home as just a base of operations. But even with that, so long as they had that home to return to, they were still inseparable.

 **AN: And that's it for this chapter. There was another bit, but I decided to save it for the beginning of next chapter. You know, a certain pairing getting romantically involved… But next chapter isn't going to have a behemoth monologue in it so it'll probably work better for that. I really wanted to build up the idea that they see themselves as untouchable. Because, if you couldn't tell by Summer's involvement in my other two stories, the point of her character (as I see it) is that she's the ultimate symbol of no huntsmen being safe. Please review, follow and favorite.**


	15. Meeting of the Minds

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: Let me tell you something, I am not in a good mood. I'm still sick and erupting into violent cough spasms every few minutes. I have less than a week before classes start back up. And I just bought Bloodborne… man that game is hard. Like, rage quit levels of hard, and for no other reason than to be hard. It really makes me mad.**

Chapter 15: Meeting of Minds

It had once been called Dragna. But few people knew that. Acacia did, Ozpin had told her when she asked about the Lost Kingdom. Somewhere on this kingdom is where it all happened. This was where Ozpin and Salem had been born. Though, apparently Ozpin had spent a lot of his early life in what would become Vale.

This particular nameless town was mutual territory. But it was close enough to encampments of all kingdoms so that they could respond if anything goes wrong. The seventeen sat in a circle. Acacia sat next to Raymond and Amber. Raymond sat next to Arthur, then Corvus, Damian Blackwater, Roman Ebony, Jackson Schnee, Elsa Gloss, Phil Trident, Orion Nikos, Helen Troy, Quicy Adele, May Long, Hayan Wukong, Allister Mordred and back to Amber.

Amber called the meeting to start. Right away bad blood starting pouring out, especially from Roman's end. She instantly picked a fight with Hayan and Allister, calling the former names based on his Faunas heritage. May Long also made a pass at capturing the Queen of Mistral which caused Quincy and the others from Mistral to start in on Vacuo. Orion reasoned with them because a fight here would be disastrous with Allister calling shots for Vacuo. Both Jackson and Helen rose to the challenge. Elsa tried her best to calm her fiancé down while Amber chastised Helen on picking a fight. Allister had remained silent and it was her own advisor that warned her of his power.

Arthur called for silence but no one would listen. There were centuries of hate to undo and it was not going to be easier. Especially with some of these individuals being trigger happy. Roman goaded May to strike at her and the brash woman fell for it. Allister intercepted May and stopped her attack but was then shot in the back by Roman. Allister countered and the two locked blows. Helen used her giant fan to blast the group away but both Roman and Allister stayed standing.

"STOP!" Elsa yelled and time seemed to stand still. She sweat profusely and her eyes glowed a pale blue as she stopped the movements of all those who had stood to fight. "We all agreed to be here and I will not let us falter now." She commanded with authority. Amber stood between Allister, May and Ebony and Acacia stood face to face with Helen, encouraging her to back off.

"Perhaps we should fight." Arthur said.

"Are you insane?" Acacia yelled.

"Not now of course." Arthur said. "We need to establish a line of thought. We need to discuss the Grimoire and their abilities. We need to pull our resources to find where they will be. Then, maybe we can have some spars, just to settle the ranks and get to know each other a bit more."

"That sounds like a good idea." Corvus said.

"That's a terrible idea." Acacia argued.

"Many of us are strangers only going by reputation. If we fight together it's best to lay everything out on the table."

"Agreed." Amber said. "Though, we maidens know what we're capable of. We'll sit out." She looked over at Helen. "It should provide good entertainment your highness."

"It's been a long time since I've battled." Helen said. "But why should they have all the fun. Perhaps us maidens should fight each other. And I would also like to battle Allister Mordred. I understand Ebony's semblance would negate my knockback semblance, but for Mordred to do the same is most impressive."

"Your highness I urge you…" Orion tried cutting in.

"Hush now General Nikos." Helen said. "This'll be most fun."

And so, after pulling all the information they had from Ozpin, his enemy, and Amber's group the Arbiters, they surmised that the Grimm would be appearing on the island of Vytal. The Mantle four did not like how close that was to Vale. Then again, that would make Vale their first target. Amber said that many of the Arbiters will remain in secret and work to get the kingdoms ready. Ozpin would be tasked to get a fighting force ready for Vytal. They would need soldiers to keep any spawning Grimm busy.

Each Kingdom had a part to play in the war. Mantle would supply their state of the art communications. Vale would supply food and lodging. Mistral would supply weapons. Vacuo would supply dust. And most importantly, no one kingdom or soldier would get credit. This was to be a display. A display that the kingdoms could work together. And the tournament that preceded it would be spread across the globe to show that the kingdoms can have friendly competition without war. But it would be best not to provide much in terms of details until everything was said and done. No one wanted the other kingdoms' heads to get too big.

Once they all reached terms that they would agree to, they went their separate ways to prepare. Acacia stayed up late with Raymond and Amber, as they shared stories about the adventures they'd had. Arthur, Allister and Orion also stayed and conversed with each other. Elsa, Jackson and Helen discussed politics and fashion. Corvus, Damian and Phil talked about history. And the others didn't do much for conversation.

 **AN: So now that everyone knows each other, let the action begin…soon. Next chapter is going to be more STRQ stuff as the Faunas War escalates. And then, this little Old Huntsmen tournament I'm throwing together. Don't expect any of the fights to be very long, this is still trying to be a short fic. Make sure to review, follow and favorite.**


	16. Patching Things Up

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: Welcome to another chapter of STRQ. There's a lot in this chapter, including a fan service implication that I'm not so proud of but I think is hilarious. And those who read RWBYond Vale, yes this is the time period that the Black Knights start keeping their eyes on Summer in preparation for project AKAS. Also, feel free to kill me for the pun in the chapter title.**

Chapter 16: Patching Things Up

Time flies when you're having fun. Hard to believe it's already been a year since they all graduated and moved into Patch together. And though Raven could safely say these were the best days of her life, there was still a creeping dread about current events. But Raven distanced herself from those thoughts. Because at this time, she was getting back from a date.

Raven had been asked out plenty of times in her life. But this was the first time she had said yes without any hesitation. She always had a soft spot for Tai. His arrogance, irreverent joy and charisma had been a shining spotlight in Raven's life for five years. In short she had never been happier to constantly be in someone's presence for so long. Tai was a fire in her life. Summer was more life a nice warm cookie. Qrow wasn't anything like that, he had been such a constant fixture in her entire life that it was difficult at times to see him as an individual. If Tai and Summer were like objects of joy, Qrow was no different than her left limbs, or a couple locks of her hair.

They entered the house together around sunset. It was a rather large house considering more people lived in it now than any single point in decades. The house started with a cozy living room complete with a fireplace. The kitchen and dining room were in plain view. The hallway had three bedrooms. There was the master bedroom at the far end where Summer slept. Then Raven and Qrow shared a large room that was obviously built with multiple occupants in mind. Summer had explained that this was always meant to be a bedroom for multiple children. Apparently a hundred or so years ago the original builder was expecting twins. The other room was the smallest and was originally a nursery, but now served primarily as a guest room. That's where Tai slept.

Raven spotted a note on the kitchen counter. It was obviously written by Summer. It read:

"Dear Raven and Tai,

Had a stressful mission today. Check the news later. Qrow took me out for drinks. Tell you all about it when I get back. Have fun and PLEASE don't burn my house down. Also, when I get back I may be tired so keep it down.

With Love,

Summer"

Tai made the both of them tea. It looked like they weren't going to be back for a while. Tai wondered if they should meet up with them but Raven turned it down. She just wanted to relax and do some reading. But that didn't happen.

A few hours later Raven was ready to hit the bed. But not exactly ready to go to sleep. Ever since they got back, Raven had been talking with Tai and enjoying herself. Her warm feeling was welling up inside her. She had the sudden urge to kiss him. She had never really felt that before. Maybe it was because she had never been alone with him for this long.

Finally, she decided to go to her room. Tai walked her down the hall to finish his final thought. She stepped in her doorway and turned to him. And then, she kissed him goodnight. The look on his face was priceless as she silently shut the door. Then, an overwhelming temptation washed over her. She quickly opened the door, grabbed him by the collar and dragged him in.

The next day Raven woke with a guilt in her stomach. Not for her or Tai. That was amazing. But because she knew that sometime while they slept off their nightly activities, Qrow probably walked in, saw them, and left to sleep in Tai's room. Then she realized this was the first time she had ever slept in a different room than Qrow. It felt…good, or at least different. But that could have been because Tai was sleeping across from her. Sometime in the night he had moved to Qrow's bed, all's well because these beds were NOT meant for two people, as they had undoubtedly discovered.

"Sooo…" Summer said as she took a sip of coffee when Raven walked into the kitchen. "You look like you had fun." Raven blushed.

"You saw that?" Raven averted her gaze.

"Raven…I think you were still up when we got back." Raven had never been so scared in her life. And the way Summer said it was with so much nonchalance. But her hood WAS up which was a bad sign. Raven panicked a bit, she knew Summer had a thing for Tai. It was a point of competition between the girls. Summer had also warned them to keep it down and if she heard them. "It's fine." Summer said defeated.

"What?"

"I'm glad you two are together." Though her tone betrayed her. "Honestly, I'd be a little disappointed if you didn't jump at him. If I was in your situation I'd probably had done it sooner."

"Still…"

"Do you love him?"

"Yes. The three of you are the only people I think I'm even capable of loving." Raven said firmly. Summer blushed at the thought. "So, how was your night?" Raven changed the subject.

"Nothing happened!" Summer said in a panicked blush. "I mean…well…"

"You said something had you stressed."

"Oh yeah that of course." Summer pulled out her scroll. Raven spotted Qrow walking out of Tai's room with a confident smirk. When Summer saw this she sighed in relief. Qrow sat down next to Summer and poked her stomach but she shrugged it off and gave him a stern look.

She showed her scroll to Raven. The headline was talking about how bad the revolution was. Namely, Mantle was no more. Atlas military now held domain over the defunct kingdom. And they were encouraging all Atlas grads to join the military to help in the war effort. It was terrible. A complete bastardization of what the huntsmen stand for. Raven had never seen Summer so pissed. Her rant went on for hours on end. She called one general in particular, General Mordred Draco, a word she would have never believed Summer capable of saying.

Qrow whispered in Raven's ear that she was like this last night too. And she had gotten drunk and drunk Summer was really emotional. At the end of her rant she talked about how Ozpin announced this morning, that he was encouraging huntsmen from all kingdoms to do what they felt was right help with the war. And Summer had already signed them up to work at Nightingale hospital in Vacuo. They were to leave in about a month.

In that month, Raven and Tai became more open with their relationship. And Raven had also taken a more affectionate turn with Summer as well. She spent a lot of time with all of them. At one point, her and Tai had snuck off to an old barn deep in the woods just to have some alone time. But Summer found them, snapped a picture, and then went off on them for seemingly no coherent reason.

Later that night, Raven found out why. Apparently Summer's parents were mysteriously killed in that barn. It was surrounded by local legend. People tended to disappear or die in that area. And those who didn't oftentimes showed up without a limb saying a shadow attacked them. Raven chalked it up to some Grimm spawning there. But whatever it was had Summer spooked.

On the last night they stayed on Patch, Raven and Summer had a girls' night in. Qrow and Tai went bar hopping for a guys' night. But Raven and Summer stayed in and ate all the pizza they could. Raven had to admit one thing at the end of that night, her feelings for Tai were external. He was a fire that she could get closer or further away from as she pleased. But there was something deeper with Summer. Raven had never had much in terms of hope for humanity. But anytime she was with Summer, she felt warm inside. She felt like, when the four of them were together with Summer at the lead, they really could make the world a better place. So, Raven admitted, that Summer was the pure embodiment of hope in her eyes. And so long as they were together, nothing could stand in their way.

 **AN: Ironic considering Raven plays the biggest part of the four to divide them. But it makes you think, what the hell happened during their involvement in the Revolution. The implication I was teasing about is that Summer is actually the most likely of the four to have had romantic encounters with all three of her teammates. I implied that there was a sisterly love at the least between her and Raven during my other story. Tai is obvious. Qrow is probably more like Snape in Harry Potter unrequited love deal. Raven's analogy for Qrow is actually a reference to where she ends up in my other story (with her left limbs gone and being appointed as a headmaster along with Qrow). And shout out to that Flask call back (or would it be call forwards since it's a prequel?). And I wanted to shove in a reference that he doesn't just come out of nowhere. Geez this chapter was dense, please review.**


	17. Tenkaichi

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: So this is the last chapter in this stretch. For the next week I'll be doing my story revolving around Jaune and his sisters. And after seven days of that, I'll return to this to finish it up. This is going to breeze through the fights rather quickly. But maybe one day, if I feel inclined (i.e. if you REALLY want me to) I'll make a small 11-chapter story with all the fights in it in stunning detail.**

Chapter 17: Tenkaichi

The fact that the maidens weren't participating in this little tournament made the brackets a bit odd. But it also gave everyone a little cheer leader. The brackets were made with the maidens in mind. Basically, each of the four brackets would have someone from all four kingdoms, but the maiden would be the first round by for someone. Everyone drew numbers 1-3 out of a bucket.

The first match was Corvus Branwen and Damian Blackwater. The two were evenly matched. Damian sported a long-handled axe and Corvus swung around a sword. The two of them both fought valiantly. But Damian came out on top when he used his semblance to summon a giant owl that knocked Corvus down.

The next fight was Arthur Arc and Orion Nikos. Arthur took a beating at the hands of his fellow general. But he eventually figured out that Orion used magnetism to throw off his attacks. So Arthur dropped his sword and instead relied on his semblance to create a light construct sword. And in the end, Arthur won by the narrowest of margins.

Up next was Allister Mordred and Roman Ebony. Roman stood her ground against Allister's onslaught. No matter how Allister hit her, she wouldn't budge. Allister switched tactics to get her on the offensive. As soon as she made a move to counter, Allister pulsed with a gravity blast, knocking her over. Allister slammed her with his mace and through that, Allister emerged victorious.

Wrapping up the first rounds was Phil Trident and May Long. May was a brash fighter. But she packed a punch. And it seemed that the more she worked up a sweat, the faster and stronger she got. But Phil's trick trident, because what else would he use, kept her at bay. Phil seemingly read all her moves as they happened and made a decisive victory when he tripped her up and jabbed her with the business end of his weapon.

Four people had been eliminated, one from each kingdom in fact. It seemed they were evenly matched after all. I just went to prove why the kingdoms had more or less been in a stale mate for so long.

Kicking off the second round was Quincy Adele and Damian Blackwater. Quincy's weapon was ridiculous. It was a rivet gun capable of punching holes in a goliath. Damian was a slower, more meticulous fighter whereas Quincy was gung-ho and destructive. In the end, she had plenty of fire power to blast everything Damian had come up with to fight her. And his semblance barely did anything against Quincy's earth leveling weapon.

Then it was time for Arthur Arc and Hayan Wukong. Hayan thought he had the upper hand with his semblance. But, Arthur had seen it before. Arthur rushed him with a force field around his body, shield in front. He smashed through Hayan's light clones and slashed through them, dozens at a time with his sword to force Hayan into a close quarters fight. Hayan adapted well and the two seemed evenly matched. Hayan had the speed advantage but Arthur's semblance kept the Faunas at a disadvantage. Arthur blasted Hayan at full force with a sword slash to secure his victory. And then promptly collapsed from exhaustion.

Next Raymond Rose fought Allister Mordred. Raymond went in confident. Amber and Acacia made small talk in between Acacia's exuberant cheers for her partner. And, Raymond surprised everyone. He managed to outpace Allister and dodge his blows. Even when Allister would send him in a direction using his gravity semblance, Raymond would use his speed to overcome it. Everyone thought it was going to be an easy win for the Vacuan, everyone except Acacia, but he held his own for a while. Just a while. Allister was bigger, stronger and more experienced in combat. All it took was a few clean hits as Raymond ran out of gas and Allister was declared the winner.

Wrapping up the second round was Jackson Schnee and Phil Trident. Phil's trick weapon was fine against brash opponents. But Jackson was another breed. His semblance was diverse. His sword-gun combo gave him advantages at all ranges. He was fast, he was strong, but more than that, he didn't miss a single attack. Phil Trident just couldn't keep cool against the onslaught.

For the semi-finals Quincy Adele fought a newly rested Arthur Arc. Quincy went in smug and confident that she could over power Arthur. He had taken his blows in stride during the previous fights. And no one seemed to hold the pure destructive force she did. But Arthur knew this. He easily slashed her artillery fire from the air with blade beams. He likened her to a warship, something he had single handedly taken out on multiple occasions. In short, Arthur was the worst kind of opponent for her.

The second to last match was Jackson Schnee and Allister Mordred. The clash of titans commenced with clashes of thunder. Allister had destructive force on his side. But Jackson's versatility and speed gave him an advantage. But Allister was no slouch. He focused on using his semblance for defense against Jackson's ranged attacks and close the distance for his mace. After a lengthy match, Allister's tenacity won out and Jackson just didn't have anything in him to land a winning blow.

The final match commenced to great fanfare. Arthur Arc got his rematch against Allister Mordred. And…not much changed. Arthur took a beating for sure. And he even gave Allister plenty of solid hits, really solid hits. But Allister was faster and stronger and maybe even more skilled. And his semblance assisted in defending against Arthur's semblance, which couldn't be said in vice-versa.

In the end, everyone enjoyed themselves. Newfound respect was shared between the kingdoms. Helen didn't get to have her fun because all the fighters were exhausted and ready to sleep for the next week strait. Amber obliged her with a quick spar, where the summer maiden came out on top. It seemed Helen's lack of training had gotten the better of her.

But they all went their separate ways to gather their resources. Next time they meet, it will be in preparation for the final battle. It would be the most dangerous opponents they had ever fought. And the victor would decide the fate of humanity.

 **AN: And that's it for now. I'll be back to this in about a week to finish things out. Next chapter is going to bring in a pretty powerful and important OC from my other story. But this week will have a new story, RWBYond Sisters: a collection of one-shots revolving around Jaune's sisters. Please review, follow, favorite, check out my profile for release dates, read all my other stories and stay classy.**


	18. Wanderer of the Black Sands

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: A few things, 1. I decided to make this one chapter longer to give something of an epilogue for Raven. 2. Because of that, this story is picking up now so that it can end at the end of the month. 3. The next three chapters are coming out on the same days as the last three chapters of RWBYond Sisters. 4. These chapters will be going up first due to the sites little time constraint. 5. Don't be confused, all of this is on my profile.**

Chapter 18: Wanderer of the Black Sands.

It had been two years since this war started. And hospital duty was especially a pain. Nightingale hospital laid at the Northeast edge of Vacuo. The Faunas War had spread itself everywhere. The Faunas had won Mistral, in a way, in the third year of the war. The battle of Fort Castle had been the most humiliating defeat in military history. And now, the Faunas ancestral home of Menagerie was under Mistral's protection. They had won, and had basically won in Vacuo and Vale from the word go.

But the Faunas were still at war with Atlas. Just having to call it Atlas nearly made Qrow vomit. This was supposed to be a free world right? Then how could an entire kingdom be bullied by a military leader, a dictator in every sense of the word. Were the people up north really that deprived?

And this week had been especially terrible for Qrow and Raven. They had found out that their father was helping Atlas in the subjugation of Faunas. Ozpin wouldn't tell them the specifics, but he had been arrested in his study and was currently under Ozpin's personal watch.

The war had brought out a colorful cast of characters as well. Qrow was somewhat flabbergasted by the number of huntsmen that came to aid the civilians in the warzones. Among the group that protected the hospital were Blanche Arc, a living legend. He spent most of his time with the doctors. He constantly berated people with pictures of his two little girls. Qrow never cared for such trivial things.

Flare Photos, Raven's former opponent from the Vytal festival had also been there for a short time. But she transferred back to Mistral to aid her fiancé with something. Glynda and Octavia, fresh out of Beacon had also joined them. It was cute to see the two girls bashfully talk to each other, even after all the years they spent together. But it would seem that a certain Atlesian Major was getting between them.

Nightingale Hospital was a place for peace. Humans and Faunas, regardless of where their stance in the war was, were welcomed to the hospital. That made huntsmen level security all the more important. Major Ironwood had nearly been eaten by a leviathan after his ship was destroyed by Faunas fighters. He only survived thanks to Glynda and Octavia, who arrived on the scene in time to seal the wound and put him on life support. Apparently he came from some big wig family, and they were going to give him some state-of-the-art prosthetics. Glynda stayed at his side until he regained consciousness and turns out he was quite the charmer. Much to Octavia's dismay.

There was also the General. His name was Blau Rains. He had arrived just earlier that day. His arm had been torn off by what he said was a mad man. The wound had been cartelized. He said he escaped with help from an old friend. But this old friend was nowhere to be seen.

That about covered it for people Qrow cared enough about to remember their name. At the present, Summer and Tai were making runs of battle fields. It was their turn, Summer's speed and Tai's strength made them the ultimate search and rescue team. So the twins sat alone at the front of the hospital. And then, he came.

He was a large, older man. He wore a mask that resembled a lion. Tattoos were all around his arm. He wore an old yellow coat that looked like the kind worn by the Vacuo Raiders during the Great War. He had silver hair, and green eyes.

"Stop right there." Raven said, ghosting a hand to her sword.

"Huntsmen…I have no business with you." He said, his voice a booming growl.

"Well if you want to step another foot you have to get our permission." Qrow said.

"Blau Rains…is he here?" He asked.

"Whose asking." Qrow spat on the ground. The large man gave a sigh.

"I know he's here." He lifted an arm up. "Tell him…the thunder has caught up to the lightning."

"General Rains is resting from a serious arm wound." Raven cut in.

"I know." The man said.

"Are you his friend?" Qrow asked.

"No." The man growled. "I have come here to reap the seeds of justice. General Rains is responsible for a massacre at Desperado. Men, women and children died at his hand. He alone remains from that day. I have tracked him this far."

"I'm going to stop you right there." Raven interrupted. "What he did doesn't matter. This is neutral ground. There's no retribution to be had here. You want him? Wait until he's out of here. Otherwise we'll have no choice but to stop you."

An arbitrary rule for an arbitrary war." He stepped forward. "But I am an Arbiter of Truth, Nemian, most ferocious of beasts. My orders go far above any measly huntsman." He lifted his hand up and it pulsed with red lightning. "If you stand in my way…" He dashed forward in the blink of an eye. Raven moved to pull her sword out while Qrow followed suit. "you will be eliminated."

There was a pulse of light. Raven slammed into the door. Qrow swung his sword at Nemian but the assailant dodged his strikes. Qrow kept the advance but was punched in the face by Nemian. Raven dashed into him with a combination of slashes. His arm pulsed with his aura as he blocked it with his bare arm. Raven was faster but this dude was a tank. He punched her in the stomach and grabbed her by her face. She lit up with red lightning as she was blasted back. Nemian rushed her dazed state and he hit her in the stomach with a similar strike.

Qrow blocked his next attack with his sword. Nemian outmaneuvered him in every way. Qrow slashed across his stomach but the man just jumped on his sword and slammed his fist into the top of Qrow's head. Qrow fired the gun of his weapon and successfully caused the assailant to back off.

Raven charged again. This time her and Qrow moved in unison. Raven would open him up with furious swings. Qrow would bat him away with his sword. He thought about using his scythe form. But that form wasn't much suited to this kind of opponent. He fought like Tai. He was much too fast to keep at a medium range, therefore, a scythe would be next too useless against him. At least it would be with Qrow's speed.

"Hold still you little bastard." Raven cursed.

"You Branwens always think you know everything." Nemian chided. "But you don't…not yet." He struck Qrow in the chest and blasted him with the same lightning. He kicked Raven in the stomach and just as Qrow got up, Nemian had him in a headlock, shooting electricity to his body. Nemian exploded with this semblance. And Qrow could barely stay conscious. The blast of lightning had shattered his aura and ripped pieces of his flesh apart.

Above him, Raven was barely standing. She gave some inaudible speech about sacrifice. But Qrow couldn't piece it together. A second later, Summer arrived. Qrow couldn't see the rest of it. But when he came to a few hours later, Summer was watching over him.

Nemian had been defeated. More importantly, Summer convinced him to stand down. Also, his real name was Ambrose Thurston. He was apparently a friend of Summer's mother. He still vowed to kill Rains one day. But for now, there was a lot better that he could do as a guardian. Summer was none too pleased to find out what the general had done. But she convinced Thurston to stand down regardless.

So they added in another powerful ally. Things were going good in Nightingale Hospital. Even though Qrow was stuck in bed for now. He couldn't complain. He had a beautiful girl standing at his side the whole time. Summer and Thurston, as well as Octavia spent a lot of time talking. What Thurston was saying was confusing and nobody seemed to understand. But the way he made it sound, the hospital was basically unbreachable. But that wouldn't stop others from trying.

 **AN: I am both excited for and dreading the next two chapters. They basically serve as the climax for the twin stories. And then there's a bit of an epilogue, the real climax for the STRQ segments and then the two true epilogue chapters for this story. Please review, it means a lot to me.**


	19. Battle of Vytal

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: I don't think I can actually articulate the awesomeness of this chapter. It'll be my first, and only time, writing from this character's perspective. It's also like all the chaos of chapters 116-127 of RWBYond Vale all condensed into…I'm shooting to get it under 2500 words. And if you haven't read that yet…WHY?**

Chapter 19: The Battle of Vytal

Salem stepped through the Black Gate, just in time to see the first real moves of the battle. The Grimoire had gathered on Vytal to resurrect the Hecatonchires. And as it turns out, when Salem, Ozpin and Avarice all worked for a common goal, there was nowhere for the Grimoire to hide. Make no mistake, Ozpin's day of reckoning was coming. But King and his monstrous brethren posed a threat to all of them. Salem was nowhere near ready for her move. She probably wouldn't be for several decades yet. And so she watched.

Ozpin led the charge against the infinitely spawning Grimm. Crowd control was of the utmost importance for this battle. And that's what these disposable legions and second rate Arbiters were working towards.

The huntsmen of Vacuo were dealing with Fury and Spite. Both of those Grimoire would become increasingly troublesome the longer they stayed alive. Amber blasted Spite in the face with red and purple lightning. Allister slipped on the glove Salem had given him. Salem had no doubt that Allister, Hayan and May together were more than enough to deal with the Grimm of Wrath. But, taking him out early is a must if they wish to prevent further bloodshed. And so Salem had supplied her Black Knight with a glove designed to extract power. And it did, Fury was slowly drained by Allister. The sheer power behind May and Hayan's strikes certainly helped the humans' cause.

Meanwhile Amber was making quick work of the Grimm of Malice. There was little doubt that the Summer Maiden, or Amber Thurston, or Nemian, whatever she desired to be called, was the strongest maiden of the day. Her work with Avarice had undoubtedly pushed her beyond the limits of what Ozpin's teachings could have done.

Speaking of the devil. Avarice, the Grimm of Greed, and the only real monster to side with humanity, was still playing the part of the beast. He was paired with Panic. And they were currently fighting Schnee, Winter Maiden Elsa, Damian Blackwater and Corvus Branwen.

Salem wondered if Avarice was toying with his potential subjects. Avarice went way back with the Blackwaters and Branwens. But Salem could see his true intention. If he desired, there isn't much Corvus or Damian could do to defeat him. But Avarice was only acting like an enemy. Maybe it was the Eye of Truth in Salem's head, eternally linking her to the leader of the Arbiters, but she could tell he was biting his time.

Meanwhile Panic struggled against the wintery pair. Jackson Schnee was truly a relentless fighter. As for Elsa, what she lacked in skill, she made up for in fire power. She was a true master of the powers of winter. She utilized the freeze and time stop powers as easily as she could breathe. Panic, for all her might, couldn't much keep up. But the Grimm of Fear was never powerless. She had strong enough skin to shrug those blasts off. Plus, the longer the fight went, the more she got in their head. In short, Jackson and Elsa were getting sloppy, the last thing you want against Panic.

Down below them, the leaders of Mistral fought Weep and Void alongside General Ebony. The bodyguard, Quincy Adele, had impressive fire power. But that made her the worst opponent for Void or Weep. Her blasts made the Grimm of Voracity stronger. Luckily, Helen had not lost her touch. Her iron fan, in conjunction with her maiden powers over the elements, and the weather, kept the snake-like monster at bay.

Meanwhile, Phil, Orion and Ebony kept Weep at bay. Weep appeared to be a giant scorpion with a human-like body attached. They rightfully focused on joints and folds in the armor. But neither man had the fire power to deal with the Grimm of Apathy.

That brought her attention to King. He was fighting General Arc, the Argentware, and the Spring Maiden. He had his work cut out for him. But it was clear that Acacia did not have the mastery of her powers that her sisters-in-arms did. Arthur was a brilliant fighter, but his technique left him massively open to King's assault. The only one making headway was Raymond Rose and he lacked the firepower to do significant damage.

Allister blasted Fury into the air. Hayan and May were waiting up top to slam him back down. Allister grabbed ahold of him and continued draining his essence. Fury blasted him with his heat vision, zapping Allister into the air. Fury shot back up and began pounding on May's head. Hayan intervened but was quickly knocked away. Allister came down like a meteor crushing the armor around Fury's arm. May took the opportunity to ignite her power and unleash a flurry of punches into Fury's stomach. Hayan smacked the beast in the head with his staff. Allister followed up with an earth shattering strike to Fury's head, killing the monster.

Amber was toying with Spite at this point. The Grimm of Malice's regenerative abilities made her a troublesome opponent. But Amber was relentless in her barrage of fire and lightning. It only took a few minutes for Amber to completely melt Spite into a useless sludge. The Summer Maiden then set her sights on Weep, who was still giving the others trouble.

Avarice saw the display and knocked his opponents back. He joined Panic's side. She had some choice words for him. Fury and Spite were dead and he was obviously slacking. Then the most unexpected thing happened. At least it was unexpected for all those who did not know Avarice. He tore through Panic's abdomen and ripped out her spine. She cursed him as he killed her. Panic really shouldn't be all that surprised. Avarice was never on the side of King.

"What the hell is going on?" Corvus said. Salem decided to use the Eye of Truth to listen in.

"She was your partner." Elsa said.

"Panic was no friend of mine." Avarice answered. "To be honest…I've been on your side the whole time. Who do you think let the lot of you know where to find us?"

"What manner of beast are you?" Damian said.

"Same as them…in a way…you can call me Avarice…leader of the Arbiters."

"LEADER!?" The four said together.

"That's right." Avarice mused.

"Then you'll help us?" Corvus said.

"I think I already did. But I'm out of here…frankly I don't trust Ozpin to not try killing me when the dust settles. But…you all certainly live up to your family reputations. I look forward to working with you especially Branwen…Just as I have so many times before."

"What game are you trying to play?" Corvus said with increased frustration. Avarice opened a Black Gate.

"I'm going to become the perfect being…and there's plenty of ways to do that." As soon as his gate closed, another one opened by Salem. Salem twitched her hand, ready to strike him with lightning.

"Isn't this a surprise?" Salem said harshly.

"Calm down Witch. I'm not here for the Eye of Truth as of now." He said. "Definitely wouldn't want your Black Knight to attack me."

"So you know that Allister Mordred is my servant."

"I know you are secretly the Queen of Vacuo. Why do you think I sent Amber, my strongest subordinate, to keep an eye on him?"

"Damn you. Always one step ahead of the breadline."

"Ozpin won this match…you realize that right?"

"When they stand together, his faith in humanity is well founded. But you and I know just how easily men fall into darkness."

"Especially when given that which they desire." He hissed. He sat next to her and watched the battle. Amber went to help fight Weep. Jackson and Damian went to help fight Void. Corvus and May went to help fight King. Allister, Hayan and Elsa went to bombard the massive portal appearing just outside the battlefield. The Hecatonchires was on its way. Ozpin joined the pair. While King was distracted, they would attempt to kill it before it could even fully form.

Amber used her special powers in conjunction with her semblance. She melted Weep's armor and bound his legs together. He lost all mobility. Ebony unloaded her bullets into the monster's face. With his prone position he was no match for the ferocity that the humans fought him with. He was at least better off than Void. Void was slowly dying. His skin being ripped and peeled off by the sheer number of combatants throwing everything they had at him. Helen even managed to seal his mouth while Quincy blasted his massive stomach.

As they too perished, the fighters joined the fight against the Hecatonchires. Salem even contemplated joining in. But Avarice was right. There was no telling what Ozpin would try to pull. For her plans, she needed the Grimoire dead for a while. Also, she would like the world to be at piece. This life cycle had been a difficult one. She was purely limited to the people of Vacuo. But a world at peace would open up all sorts of possibilities to expand her little underground empire. No, when the world finally burned she would be the one to plant the spark.

Still, that glove was very useful in draining Fury. And it didn't seem like the Grimoire were anything more than massive muscle. Surely, they could be controlled. And maybe, that glove, or a variation of it, could even be used to extract a maiden's power.

Salem shook the thought from her head. Even if she could, and knew exactly how it worked, without a worthy candidate to wield the power it would just be a waste. And there were too many locks on her soul from all those years ago to attempt something like that at this time.

The Hecatonchires was well on its way to destruction. The combined powers of the maidens, and the strongest fighters of the world, were just too much for the Grimm. But King, he was doing well but losing under his five opponents. Salem wondered just how far he could go. She wondered if he'd at least get his revenge, and snuff out the Argentware for good. If Raymond Rose died, so too did the legacy of Remnant's first hunters.

Raymond was knocked back. King lunged at him but was intercepted by Acacia. Arthur blasted King with his semblance as May punched him in the gut. King unleashed a massive howl. He grabbed May and used her like a club to blast Arthur across the chest. He leaped and ran around Acacia's elemental attacks striking her across the chest. He threw a telekinetic punch into Arthur and Raymond knocking them both down.

King out of the way of Damian's attacks and smashed down on him. Acacia tried attacking him again but King countered and with a crippling blow he shattered Acacia's aura. He laughed for a second and leaped at her to finish her. Then, a blur of green leaves intercepted him. Ramond had dove in between them, wielding Arthur's Corcea Mors.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" He shouted loud enough to reach Salem's ears even without the Eye of Truth. His eyes were glowing. King was hesitant to move. Obviously, all those memories of past deaths were clouding his vision. He was angry…but more than that he was terrified.

As if on cue the Hecatonchires bellowed on last time. Allister had summoned massive meteors from the moon and bombarded the beast as it lifted its head from the portal. The attack was unbelievable. Had the Hecatonchires not been there, the whole island would have likely been destroyed from the meteors. King howled in agony. His whole plan of bringing the Hecatonchires back into the land of the living had failed. Allister passed out from his last attack. Even so, over a dozen huntsmen soon surrounded King. And in an instant later, Raymond removed his wolf-like head from his shoulders.

The army called for celebration. Avarice gave a thumbs up to his subordinates before disappearing into a portal. Acacia grabbed Raymond, slapped him then kissed him. Corvus patted Arthur on the back. This camaraderie, all the heroes of the kingdoms hugging and congratulating, it made Salem a little sick. She especially focused in on the maidens and their lovers. Acacia passionately kissed Raymond, having finally admitted the full extent of her feelings. Jackson shared a chase kiss with his Winter Maiden fiancé. Amber met up with her husband, a fellow Arbiter who had been on crowd control, and the two joined hands. And despite her better judgement. Helen stood alone, but was soon joined by her bodyguards. She gave her fellow maidens a bow. Salem was inspired by this, and despite her better judgement, decided to pay her own former husband a visit.

"Hello Ozpin." She said, teleporting behind him.

"Salem." He said coldly.

"This is a moment of great celebration." She traced a finger over his cheek. "How about we celebrate…like old times sake." She considered throwing in a wink, but decided that would be too much.

"The only reason why I don't ram my weapon through your heart is because I know…you wen't responsible for this."

"That's what I've been telling you for decades now." She eyed him up. "In fact…I helped." She glanced over at Allister, letting Ozpin know just who was acting as her will.

"I suspected that glove must come from you." He said.

"Well of course…by the way…thanks for not ramming me with that cane…but if you want…you could ram something else…"

"And we're done having this conversation." Ozpin cut her off.

"Oh don't be so sour." Salem laughed. "But we are not done. We'll have our little battle eventually. And if not this lifetime…then the next." She snapped her fingers and disappeared into a Black Gate. This lifetime of hers was still relatively young. She had only walked in this form for twenty years. Ozpin had had the same form for well over two-hundred, maybe even three-hundred. He was old and tired and wore-torn. He would most definitely reconstitute within the next ten years, twenty if he's happy being crotchety.

 **AN: Almost hit my target exact. So about the Grimoire, Salem and Ozpin's relationship, all the stuff about Avarice and the Arbiters, if you haven't already READ RWBYOND VALE! Seriously, it's 130 chapters long but less than 300,000 words. And as you do, leave reviews on it. Leave reviews all over it, multiple chapters. I really want more people to read and review it. And also read and review this, and my other stories. Once you're done here, jump on over to RWBYond Sisters, which just got a new chapter at the same time as this. Follow, Favorite and stay classy.**


	20. Nightingale

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: This has been a long time coming. I think it was alllll the way back in chapter 12 of RWBYond Vale when I first mentioned this event, the one where everything changed. I wish I had more ideas for the Old Huntsmen stuff so that this could be right before last chapter and such. Also note I had a long day so I'm writing this before bed. Because of that, the last chapter of RWBYond Sisters will be released in the evening. I just don't have the energy to write two chapters tonight but I don't want to mess up my release schedule.**

Chapter 20: Nightingale

Summer had barely left Qrow's side. Thurston had apologized for his condition, but still, he was unconscious and wouldn't be waking up any time soon. Raven and Tai had been at his side as well. But some of the things Thurston said didn't make sense. But at the same time it did.

He said that Raven and Qrow's family had a long standing relationship with his group, the Arbiters. He also said that he was friends with Summer's parents. But the thing that kept playing through Summer's mind was something he said about her eyes. She recalled Ozpin saying something about it too, that those with silver eyes were destined to fight the Grimm. No skin off Summer's back, that part was reassuring.

She didn't have time to think of things any further. Because that's when it started. It started with the sound of bullheads and helicopters. Next came the sound of gunfire and explosions. Then the screams. Summer peaked her head out of the door and saw the patients running. There were lights in the window followed by gunfire. Three men, all armed and armored, repelled in.

They raised their guns at the crowd of people. Summer acted on instinct. She grabbed her weapon and dashed forward. The two on the side were knocked out of the window, one of their shotguns flew from his hand. The middle one blocked it with his knife. Summer exchanged blows with the assailant. He was extremely flexible and fast. But she was faster. She swung at his leg and it came right off like it was made of dirt. She plunged the axe blade of her halberd into his chest. His arm stretched out, hitting her in the face.

"So that's what this feels like." He said, spinning up to his feet. His leg and chest regenerated. Was it a semblance? No, Summer didn't feel any aura when she hit him.

He ran at her and she blocked his attacks. She wrapped her chain around him and knocked him to the ground. He grabbed the discarded shotgun and shot her. The force of the blast knocked her into the wall. She dashed away from his next strike and expertly shot him in the head and he fell out of the broken window.

She ran back to Qrow. Whatever was happening was happening all over the hospital. She needed to get Qrow out of here. She called Raven and tai but they were busy on the lower levels. Glynda and Octavia were up above. Thurston was the only one supposedly nearby but she had no way of contacting him. For all intent and purposes she was on her own.

She prepped Qrow up for extraction. She pointed all the other patients towards her teammates. The whole time she couldn't shake this eerie feeling. Then there was that echoing breath. At first she thought it was her own. But it was muffled and growing louder. She could even hear it over the fiery explosions echoing down the hall.

As she got Qrow off the bed there was a kick at the door. A tall thin man with an old, narrowed face wearing a black trench coat and a cowboy hat walked in. He brandished an old fashioned pistol and pointed it right at her.

"Silver eyes." He said. He lifted the pistol back and holstered it. He spun around. "Burn with the rest!" There was an explosion behind Summer knocking her down. A fiery fist hit her in the cheek. She felt burning hands around her throat. A burning man with golden eyes and goat horns lifted her into the air, strangling her. A young child with a gas mask floated above him. He had nappy red hair and was looking straight at her. His breathing, the same she'd been hearing, was deafening.

Summer tried desperately to escape but this guy was built like a tank. A familiar shotgun blast hit the fire demon in the back, forcing him to drop Summer. Qrow rose to his feet and slashed at him a few times. He transformed his sword into a scythe mid swing, using its transformation sequence to increase the pulling power. The man-of-flame face planted the ground.

Summer grabbed his hand as a deafening buzz pierced their ears. The ghostly child was glowing in a purple haze. Summer ran out of the room with Qrow in hand. The fire guy right behind them, cutting off the exits. Summer grabbed Qrow's hand and dove for the window. She wrapped her chain around a radiator so they could swing down to the lower floor. As the fell, Qrow shot a fire hydrant and the sprinklers. They went off, causing the fire guy to drop to a knee.

As soon as they hit the floor, a rocket hit behind them. The man from before, that Summer had knocked out the window wrapped his arm around Qrow's throat. Thurston's hands came from the floor and grabbed the assassin's legs pulling him down. There was a flash of red light before Thurston jumped back through the hole.

"Eli, Mantis and Necros." He said. "This is bringing back bad memories."

"You know those guys?" Qrow said.

"Knew…" Thurston pinched his nose. "Look out." He pulled Summer and Qrow into the hole to dodge explosive machine gun fire that filled the hall. On the floor they were on now, everyone was gathered. And there were so many dead, the smell of fresh corpses filled the room. Blanche Arc and Flare Photos covered the stairway. Tai and Raven were delivering first aid to the wounded, at least what they could. Octavia was in the middle of a mental breakdown, Glynda trying to calm her down, cupping her face.

"These guys are wearing all sorts of uniforms." Raven said.

"They're trying to make it look like an actual battle." Thurston said. "This is how Necros works. I don't know why he's here. He obviously wants to make it look like the war is far from ending."

A VTOL ship started firing into the hallway. A dozen more died as they ran into the safety of the rooms. They needed to get out of here. But they weren't going anywhere so long as that VTOL covered the hallway. And there were soldiers on the stairwell, blocking that exit.

"Octavia listen to me." Glynda said. "We need you with us right now."

"I can't Glynda…I just…I don't know what to do."

"Yes you do…you trained for this…right now, you're the only one that can reach that VTOL."

"But I already failed…I…so many people dead…" She squeezed her eyes shut trying fruitlessly to hold back tears.

"I believe in you…Ozpin believes in you…and right now we NEED that power or we're all going to die." Glynda said firmly.

"I don't even know if it'll work."

"Stop doubting yourself."

"But if I lose you…oh God I can't lose you." Octavia went to wrap her arms around Glynda but she was shaken back.

"You won't because you'll succeed." Glynda gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead. It wasn't anything romantic but it was enough to clear Octavia's thoughts. She grabbed her weapon, a pipe that spewed bubbles, and blew a purple one. She grabbed it with her hand. Her eyes started glowing. A purple flame was captured inside the bubble. She walked into the hall way and erupted with power.

Purple fire, lightning and bubbles blasted the VTOL destroying one of its engines. It fired missiles at Octavia but Raven tackled her out of the way. Flare caught one with her reflection semblance and threw it back. She was hit and her aura drained immediately. Blanche called out the flash rounds. Glynda casted numerous glyphs to bombard the struggling VTOL with dust aided by her semblance.

Taiyang actually had the final punch. He fired an electric round from his gauntlet, blowing up what was left of the cockpit. Taiyang and Raven led the charge down the steps. They couldn't worry about pulling their punches. They had a small army to get through and they were doing it.

They reached the bottom floor. A pair of armored trucks were in the lobby, armed with turrets. Blanche blasted one with his semblance and Thurston fried the other one, killing its occupants. Then, the breathing was back. There was a red glow from the elevator. It blasted open engulfing the hall way in flames.

"What the hell is with this guy?" Qrow groaned. The man-on-fire was marching down the hall way looking pissed. Tai cracked his knuckles.

"Mama always said if you get burned…" He marched towards the fire starter. Their punches met, but Tai's fist exploded with a blue haze sending the demon back. "put some ice on it."

"Crimson Blaze." Thurston said. "Damn."

"There's more trucks outside." Qrow said. "But they look relatively unarmed."

"Qrow, Glynda, we'll secure those trucks." Blanche said.

"Summer, Raven, we're going up top." Thurston said. "Mantis is a psychic and so long as he's in play we can't fight to our fullest." Summer led the way to the roof. There was a helicopter waiting up there, two men as well. One of them wore a green suit and held a computer. The other was the man in the black trench coat.

"Persistent bunch." The man groaned.

"Why are you here Necros?" Thurston said.

"I could ask you the same thing." Necros answered, pulling out his pistol. Raven rushed him, closing in and keeping him back peddling. Necros kicked her in the face. He clapped his hands and a coffin appeared. "Since I have the Argentware here, it's only fitting to use this."

The coffin opened. The man inside looked dead in his eyes. But Summer recognized him from an old family photo album. It was her grandfather, Raymond Rose. Raven and Summer teamed up against this new opponent. Thurston had already knocked out the man in the helicopter and was trying to fight Necros.

Summer wrapped the deadeye Raymond with her chain and Raven cut its head off. As Raymond dissipated, with his anchor broken, Raven collapsed from exhaustion. Summer dropped to her knee. She was on the verge of passing out. She saw Necros shoot Thurston with a flash-round and pull out another gun to finish him off. Summer was washed away by pure instinct. Her eyes glowed a radiant green light as she called a forest of roots to smash into Necros.

Thurston had Necros in his hands. His right hand grabbed Necros face ready to execute him. Summer pleaded with him to stop. There was enough bloodshed already. Thurston hesitated but charged up his semblance.

"I will not kill you this day." Thurston said. "Tell me who sent you." Necros laughed.

"I'm not obliged to tell you anything." Necros laughed. "But I'll bite. If for no other reason, then to cover my ass. He'd probably kill me to tie up loose ends anyway. So I'll tell you and you can deal with him yourself…old friend… The one who hired me was General Mordred Draco. He wanted to keep the war going until he was put at the top of Atlas and had complete control over it. That man in the copter…his name is Edwin Glas…he'll show you the way…for a little price."

"I see…but…although I'll let you live…you crossed the line this time Faust…and the whole world will know what you did today." Thurston's hand pulsed with red lightning. Necros screamed in pain as his face became deformed and he passed out. Thurston tossed him to the ground. "Mantis must have bailed. I no longer hear his breathing."

"Good riddance." Raven said. "Sure it's wise to let him live."

"Perhaps not…but he's beaten…and who knows, he may be useful again someday."

The battle ended. Hundreds perished but hundreds more were saved. Crimson Blaze escaped in the chaos. Edwin Glas and Necros Faust were captured. The hospital was evacuated. And word spread of what happened. The new headmaster of Shade, Jade Darcy, was furious. But they kept the revelation that an Atlesian General was behind the assault under wraps. A coalition was soon forming, and they would bring Draco to justice.

 **AN: A lot of familiar faces in here. Not only is this going to haunt these guys for the rest of their life, but it also serves as a second origin for Necros Faust (or at least his disfigurement) and how a lot of these villains first ran into team STRQ, about 18-19 years before the main cast would deal with them as well. Next time, founding of the academies. Be sure to review, follow, favorite and stay classy.**


	21. The Spoils of War

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: We're coming down to the wire on this story. Only four more chapters left. Three of them glorified epilogue stuff. All of them are going to be pretty short. I think I'm going to be relieved finally having this story finished after so freaking long.**

Chapter 21: The Founding of the Academies

Although the battle with the Grimoire themselves was not broadcast or recorded for fear that talking Grimm could spread panic, the rest of the battle was. The whole world saw what the world's strongest fighters could do when they worked together. And with people like Roman Ebony and Allister Mordred demanding peace, there wasn't much the kings and queens could do.

The Vytal Accords were signed on the island. Royalty and dignitaries from all across the world came to sign the accords. The first part of the accords would be the limitation of power held by royalty. The kingdoms would become representative monarchies. The kings and queens would have some executive power but there would also be a council that legislates the people. Among this council would be a security council. Their job was to moderate the borders, distribute militias, and oversee the huntsmen.

The huntsmen were the next part of the accords. Each kingdom would house an academy to teach future generations how to fight. Their primary goal would be to combat the Grimm. Though, there would be cause for huntsmen to have other jobs. The majority of Remnant was still Grimm territory. Even though the Grimm numbers would stay dramatically low for a while, it was better safe than sorry. So any job anyone would have that involved going outside the protective walls, would need the accompaniment of a huntsman.

Another part was the freedom of huntsmen. It was agreed by the majority that had these heroes listened to the government, all would be lost. So, anyone that proved their worth, and got permission from the academy headmasters and the security councils, would be free of any citizenship or duties to a specific kingdom. The idea was that this would encourage huntsmen to see humanity as a whole and not divided along borders.

Each kingdom also had a gift for the people of Remnant. Mantle had a radio system far more advanced than the other kingdoms. So their gift to the world was that same concept, but on a bigger scale. It was called the Cross Continental Transit System. The only downside being that it was a closed loop system, meaning if one major tower went down, so would the others. So each CCT tower would be placed within the safety of the academies.

Mistral had a great transportation system. Roads, highways, trains, boats and even airships. This would be their gift to the world. So they made such things available to the other kingdoms. They even sent in civil engineers to help pave these roads and find where the best places to put them was.

Vacuo had recently invented a cold storage system. Other forms of the ice-box had existed for centuries. Vacuo's was made to transport meat and vegetables across the desert heat. This made it far and away better than any other form of the ice-box that ever existed. Thanks to this gift, anyone, anywhere, could enjoy fresh and delicious foreign cuisine from the comfort of their home.

Vale's gift was mineral supplies. The mineral deposits of Mt. Glenn and the deep caves that made up the majority of the Vale underground were highly valuable. Weapons, armor, vehicles, anything could be made of this versatile metal. It was flexible yet rigid. With all the best minds in the world working together, they would undoubtedly further unlock the secrets of this metal. It was especially useful against the Grimm and there were some people who already had outrageous ideas on how to implement this.

Vale also would oversee mining operations on Vytal. Following the destruction of the Hecatonchires, a massive dust formation appeared in the ground. Since Vale was closest to Vytal, they would oversee all operations regarding this strange new development. Jackson Schnee would also oversee its security albeit paid for with a significant cut of the resource. But it would be divided evenly, with a little extra going to the Schnees for their involvement. Jackson Schnee even commemorated the event with the founding of a new company, the Schnee Dust Company, whose purpose would be to mine, purify, alter, and distribute throughout the world.

Finally, the academies were officially established. First, was Atlas in Mantle. Named for both the city it would be in, the capital of Mantle, and the legend of the man who carried the world on his shoulders. Roman Ebony was named its headmistress, hoping her success in defending Mantle would continue as she helps defend the world. Jackson Schnee and Elsa Gloss would also be founders and have statues erected of them. Damian Blackwater was also a founder, though he preferred to be regarded as the first professor of Atlas.

Next was Beacon in Vale. A shining light in the darkness. Ozpin's home would serve as its campus. Ozpin would be the headmaster, he was always better suited as a watchful mentor rather than a soldier and it was a good way to keep an eye on him. Arthur Arc, Corvus Branwen, Acacia Glens and Raymond Rose would also be among its founders. A statue of Arthur and Acacia would be erected in the courtyard.

After that came Shade in Vacuo. The second best thing you can find in a desert after water. An old fort would be retro fitted to house the academy. Renton Thurston, a decorated Vacuo combatant and strategist, would be the headmaster. Amber Thurston, his wife and the summer maiden, along with Allister Mordred, would have statues of themselves built in that courtyard. May Long and Hayan Wukong would also be counted among its founders.

Finally, Haven in Mistral. Named for the capital city and also a safe haven for all. The old palace would be its grounds. Phil Trident would be the headmaster. Helen Troy, Quincy Adele and Orion Nikos would also be founding members. Helen and Orion would have statues erected in the courtyard. Helen Troy would still maintain her position as queen. And she would have a place on the security council overseeing huntsmen.

Everyone agreed unanimously to these accords. Of course, should something not work, they were flexible and could be amended. But the world was entering a time of peace. The only threat was one that was currently running scared with its tail between its legs. The whole world agreed, that when they stood together, there was nothing that could ever take them down. So long as they stood together they were invincible. And all would be enemies knew that.

 **AN: I like this chapter a lot, maybe it's because I love history. If there's any failure in continuity this chapter, it's because I don't remember, which means you probably don't either (like I may have mentioned the big gifts before and they were different than here). Next chapter will be the final battle in the STRQ segment and then more personal epilogues for characters. Be sure to review, follow and favorite.**


	22. Pierce the Veil

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: And now for the last action chapter of this fanfic. I know, even though no one's said anything, that the action here is lacking the depth and creativity of RWBYond Vale. It's all because of the brevity I decided to make this story as a whole. I wanted to explore some origins, show some dynamics and have a good lead in for both the upcoming RWBYond Hope and my Violet Rose story.**

Chapter 22: Pierce the Veil

The huntsmen had gathered with the best and brightest the Faunas Liberation Front could muster. It was time for payback. Retribution for all those who perished at Nightingale. It was time to bring the corrupt Atlesian General to justice and expose him for the monster he really was.

Raven's mission was simple, kill or capture Mordred Draco and find any and all evidence linking him to the Nightingale massacre. Edwin Glas had all the files they needed. He just needed access to the hard drives in the fort.

Summer was leading the charge, not officially but no one had the nerve to tell her to fall back. Raven covered her flank. There was an unusual amount of Grimm in the area. Surprisingly, they didn't seem like much of a threat. They all seemed to be hesitant and fearful in Summer's presence. Raven could relate, one look in Summer's eyes even made Raven's blood cold. The woman was like a machine. Any semblance of the sweet girl Raven knew had been beaten out of her by the bloodshed of Nightingale.

The group was stopped by their first challenger. Crimson Blaze had returned. He blasted Summer back and countered Glynda's fire. He launched a fireball into the crowd but it was blocked by a huntsman wearing a blue trench coat.

"Tethys Azul!" Flare said. "What are you doing here?"

"Disappointing my kid." He said as he blocked a few more fireballs.

"You and me both." Blanche said.

"You guys keep going…I'll make short work of this little fire starter." Tethys was surrounded by waves of water forming the shape of a sea monster. He charged at Crimson and launched him into the air.

As they kept going they encountered more and more soldiers. Some of which were high enough level to warrant a huntsman to stay behind and deal with him. No doubt they were products of the Atlesian Specialist program.

A large man in a black mask leaped down from a perch and smashed several Faunas. He knocked several more away before Summer smashed into him. He shrugged off her attack like she was a teddy bear.

"Tai." Summer called in the heavy hitter. Tai landed a leaping kick to the man's face knocking him through a wall.

"Tobi!" The large man said. A smaller man, who couldn't be any more than a teenager dropped in and rushed Tai. Tai's counter went right through him and he grabbed Tai around the neck. When the large man tried punching Tai, Tai countered by flipping Tobi over his shoulder. But the large man's punch went through Tobi and connected with Tai anyway. Tobi leaped into the air again, but behind him a crow flew up, it transformed into a fully armed Qrow who used his scythe to rip him from the air.

"We'll handle them together." Qrow said.

"Can you handle the brawler Baldur?" Tobi asked.

"Of course." Baldur, the large man said. Tai and Baldur collided fists creating a shockwave. Tobi and Qrow rode that shockwave as they collided above them.

They continued fighting their way through the fort. They were stopped by three members of team BLAC: Berry, Lunaria and Chrome. They were all wearing Atlesian military uniforms. But Chrome looked especially uncomfortable in it.

"Stand down." Berry said.

"Never thought I'd see your dumb face again." Raven taunted.

"Guys!" A voice shouted from the back. It was Animal Kane, this missing member of team BLAC.

"Traitor!" Lunaria accused.

"Look, I know we don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things but we need to bring Draco down." Kane argued. "He's shed a lot of unnecessary blood but if you listen to me, we can stop this madness."

Berry froze for a moment, examining his former teammate and his tournament rivals. Before he could give an answer, Chrome attacked with a massive blade beam. Kane jumped out of the way and Raven barely managed to block the attack.

"Chrome." Summer pleaded. "Stop this. We don't have to fight."

"Don't have to fight?" Chrome said. "But then why orders? Why yelling always yelling?"

"Chrome, whats wrong?" Summer said calmly.

"I just can't deal with it you know! You were always so nice. Everything was going to be okay. But it wasn't! Just screaming and voices and I can't even Black Blood. Don't cry or they'll eat you. I can't cry, even if I want to, what with all the needles in my eyes and fingers. They said it would make me stronger."

"What did they do to him?!" Kane growled.

"Father just wanted to make him stronger so he wouldn't cry so much."

"Can everybody just shut up for two minutes?" Chrome said.

"Lunaria he's your brother." Kane said.

"You wouldn't understand." Lunaria shot back. "You're a half breed, half Faunas, half human. You don't know anything of legacy."

"And they all say, don't cry or I'll give you something to cry about!" Chrome mumbled loudly as his semblance kicked in. "I can't control it. I can't do anything right! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

"You're not stupid and you CAN fight this." Summer shouted as she dashed around the attack.

"Summer song silver shot always singing." Chrome muttered. "But I can't. Draco won't let me. If I fight he'll break me."

"We can fight him together." Summer pleaded.

"But the monsters?"

"I'll fight them for you. You don't have to fight anymore." Summer's eyes began to glow. Chrome became blinded, the efreet disappeared. Chrome dropped to his knees. Raven could almost swear that the energy radiating from Summer's eyes were singing a melody. "Remember what I said after we fought in the tournament?"

"Y-yes." Chrome had black tears running down his cheek.

"If you ever need anyone…just call and I'll help."

"Thank you!" Chrome clutched Summer around her waist. It was only then that Raven realized just how short Chrome was. Summer lovingly petted his head as if a mother comforting a child.

"Screw it we tried." Berry said. "We won't help you but…as thanks for comforting Chrome, we won't get in your way."

"Thank you Berry." Kane said.

"I'm going with you." Chrome said. "I…Draco he has blood, black blood. "He'll kill you all."

"Thank you…Chrome." Summer mused.

They finally caught up to where the majority of people had been fighting Draco. He was wearing pitch black armor that made him look like a real demon. Summer didn't even try to reason with him, she charged in and struck him several times. He shrugged off her blows and tried striking her but she was pulled out of the way by Glynda. Octavia blasted him with lightning forcing him to a knee. Chrome tried swinging on him but it was blocked by Draco's double helix sword.

Draco pierced a man through the stomach with his fingers. He threw the body at Blanche before taking a swing at him. Blanche managed to block it with his semblance but was sent flying with a dislocated arm. Thurston came up behind him and shattered his helmet with a pulse of his semblance. Draco's long black hair flowed down past his shoulders. He had a purple eye and a green eye and black streaks all around his face. He chopped Thurston across the face, shattering the Nemian mask and leaving a deep cut across Thurston's face.

"I knew I should have killed you Arbiters when I had the chance." He rushed forward, ready to finish Thurston off but Summer wrapped up his feet and Raven slashed him across the face. No matter how many times she landed body shots, Draco's armor was just too strong. He was too fast and strong to safely land headshots on, and that seemed to be his only weak point now that Thurston was out of commission.

Glynda bombarded him with glyphs and bolts. Raven slung a blade beam at him. Summer just rushed him. Summer was always more of a midrange fighter. But getting that close was going to get her killed. Or so Raven thought. Then Summer swung with a force Raven had never seen before and one of Draco's shoulder pads came flying off. But Summer's ankle snapped in the process.

"Summer!" Raven ran towards her as fast as she could. But then Summer's eyes blasted with a radiant light again. Raven didn't know what it was and it was clear Summer only vaguely had an idea. But whatever it was, it was enough for her to escape Draco's attack.

"Blasted Argentware." Draco cursed. The black streaks on his face disappeared. "This is an unfortunate side effect. Seems like your powers mutated the Black Blood and made it recede." He raised his hand to strike at her again.

"Leave her alone!" Chrome charged in and batted his attack away.

"Oh how fortunate for you to be hear Major Blackwater. The blood in your veins should satiate me." He put on a white glove with a red symbol on it.

"No." Chrome whispered. "Summer save me!" Summer dashed forward as Draco finished putting on his glove. He knocked Summer away and sent a massive blade beam at her. Raven intercepted and blocked it but was flown back. Summer's ankle popped and Draco smashed her with his sword, sending her flying. Something came out of the glove and latched on to Chrome.

"You were nothing more than a tool. Your father and professor Branwen merely used you as a petri dish to test our chemicals."

"I'm not a tool…I…will…not…die like this." Chrome thrust his sword into Draco's shoulder. The sword went all the way to the hilt. Draco cursed loudly and thrust his hand through Chrome's chest, killing him instantly. Chrome's body dissipated into black ink. His last words just whimpers.

"YOU MONSTER!" Summer's eyes burt in silver and green. A variable forest collided into Draco.

"What?" Draco shouted. Summer rushed his and with a single swing of condensed energy, shattered Draco's sword. Draco tried countering with a palm thrust but Raven was there to deflect it and send it into Draco's wounded shoulder, severing his arm. Glynda blasted him with glyphs and Octavia bombarded him with bubbles.

Then Raven got an idea. She prepared herself for a blade beam. But instead of throwing the energy out she kept it confined to her sword. The energy condensed, exponentially increasing the pressure of the blade. Her stance made her silhouette look like a crescent moon. She swung with all her might, and sliced Draco across the chest, exactly where his armor had cracked and then she followed up with a stab plunging the entire blade through his chest and out his back.

Draco passed out, face planting into the ground. Summer collapsed from exhaustion. Glynda and Octavia got the wounded to safety and got Glas to the servers to finish his job. The rest went to help out those who stayed behind to fight the stronger enemies. Raven was left to look after Summer's sleeping form and Draco's prone one. She saw a breath exhale from his mouth.

"I know you're still alive." Raven said.

"How perceptive." He got back up.

"You lost Draco. You simply made too many enemies…especially when you ordered the death of countless innocents."

"That may be true…but it means nothing in the long run. Tonight, my ultimate goal was merely hindered not stopped. There will be others to replace me. When that happens, when the veil is pierced, the safe haven will be compromised, the shade will be illuminated and all those who hold the world on their shoulders will fall."

"I don't think so."

"Yes you do I can see it in your eyes. You are well beyond the point of trusting people. You've had a look beyond the veil and now you can't stop thinking about it. That's why you have not yet finished me off…isn't it."

"You knew this would happen you must have."

"I wasn't counting on Necros ratting me out so easily. But that doesn't matter. You, your friends, they'll all die eventually. There's nothing that can stop that. Their legacy will amount to very little." A black portal like object appeared behind him. "I'm the one who will continue to strike fear from beyond the grave. I'm the one whose master will conquer the planet. I'm the one that'll…" He was cut off when a white bony, clawed hand shot out from the portal and rammed through his back.

"Give it a rest Black Knight." A harsh voice said. The portal vanished revealing a tall thin…bird-like man with a glowing orange eye atop his head, the other eye was closed.

"You're…" Raven was at a loss for words. "You're a…"

"Grimm?" He said. "Technically it's Grimoire." The human half of his head gave a smile. "I bet you're dying to know more. He's right…I am Avarice, leader of the Arbiters. I can show you what's beyond the veil and when I do…you'll see the folly of men like Draco and his master."

 **AN: This is one of those things, that if I desired to make this into a full length story with multiple arcs, this probably would have been four to five chapters. But I wanted to end here, Raven and Avarice meet at last. A meeting that would change all their lives, and all of Remnant with it. Please review, follow favorite, and stay classy.**


	23. Motherhood

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: We're down to the final two chapters. This was going to be the last but then I decided to add in another chapter focusing on Raven leaving. So this chapter is going to go back and forth, and have line breaks in it noting when time period is changing again. Hopefully you'll get it right away. Check out my profile because I have updated and added onto my schedule. You will now be getting a chapter a day for the rest of the year.**

Chapter 23: Motherhood

Acacia couldn't be any happier than she was at that moment. Her and Raymond were in the middle of getting married. Her maid of honor Amber, and bridesmaids Elsa and Arthur's wife Gwen, wooed at the prolong kiss, ending off the official ceremony. Raymond's best man Corvus kicked the bouget out of the air and it landed in the clutches of May Long.

The wedding had been small but expensive, Elsa and Jackson Schnee had made sure of that. Acacia had never seen such a balance of quality and quantity. She also couldn't believe that just a small plate at the reception likely cost hundreds of liens.

But it was the happiest day in Acacia's life. As her and Raymond left the party to venture on their honeymoon, she couldn't help but think of how lucky she was to have him. It had been nearly ten yesrs since the war ended. Their jobs and roles in the biggest era of reconstruction had kept them from finalizing their relationship for far too long. She was ready for the next step. Raymond was too. After all, being married now, didn't actually feel any different than their last ten years.

* * *

Raven was a hot mess pacing around the house on Patch. She had been so ready. They had all been ready. After the fall of Mordred Draco, Raven had explained that she wanted to leave and spread her wings. It was the perfect time, the perfect out. They all understood. Qrow even agreed with her wanting to get some time doing missions alone. Sure, Tai would miss her and Summer would miss them both. But life as an Arbiter could allow, or even require some contact. But she HAD to spend that last night with Tai.

"Qrow?" She frantically said into her scroll. No one was home and Summer wasn't answering her scroll. But someone had just picked up.

"Raven?" Qrow said, "What're you doing? Are you okay?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm on a mission to Haven…Where are you?"

"Patch."

"Couldn't stay away?"

"No, I mean, yes but…I…. when are you coming home?"

"Not for a while."

"Please hurry back I…I need my brother right now." She started crying.

"What happened?"

"Qrow…I'm…I'm pregnant." She whimpered out.

"Oh…that could be an issue." Qrow said.

* * *

Acacia didn't want any kids, not yet anyway. They were still in the midst of reconstruction. Centuries, if not millennia, of damage was being fixed. Acacia was barely getting any sleep as is, there's no way she could add the stress of a baby on top of that. So she and Raymond agreed that it would be something they wait until they settled down for.

In the meantime, the Vytal Festival was doing well to find its identity. Some people wanted it every year, but with the ludicrous number of cities being rebuilt and such, it just wasn't affordable. But having it every two years aloud for it to be a bigger deal and allowed a lot more planning to make it feel bigger.

It was the sixth Vytal Festival Tournament. The second one to be held in Mantle. Jackson had certainly gone overboard with the arena this year. He called it the Adaptable Training Arena. It was supposed to be perfect for getting young aspiring huntsmen to hone their skills.

Acacia even got to meet Elsa's son Eiess. It certainly didn't help Acacia's resolve to wait for a kid. Then again, Eiess was pretty bratty and undoubtedly spoiled. Once again, the tournament was pretty good. It even gave Raymond an idea.

* * *

"So this is the Rose house." Avarice said. He walked through the living room. Raven had called him shortly after calling Qrow. She was still unsure of what to do. So naturally, might as well ask her employer.

"What should I do…about the baby?" Raven asked.

"Well…I'm not exactly in a position to talk about the sanctity of life. What I think doesn't matter. What matters is what is it you desire. You can't be a true Arbiter, if you lie to yourself about what you want."

"I know…I…I want nothing more than to keep seeing the world and discover the secrets of Remnant with you and the others. On that note, I don't want this child with me getting in my way."

"Leave it with your team." Avarice suggested. "I'm sure they'll be happy to do so."

"But if I leave this baby they'll never forgive me." Raven averted his gaze. He took a seat across from her and looked her directly in the eyes with a smirk across his features.

"Be honest with yourself. Do you really care about their forgiveness?"

* * *

Acacia and Raymond had moved into Raymond's old house. They had got permission to start a series of primary combat schools that would prepare youths for the huntsmen academies or other professions that may need a weapon.

The first would be called Signal and would be located on Patch. It was Raymond's idea. It was a good one too. Those joining the academies now were too young to remember much of the war, and wouldn't have any experience with violence going into the academies. So these combat schools were an inevitability really.

Though, Acacia suspected that this was Raymond's out. He definitely had the baby blues now. He would romance and woo her at every waking moment like a rabbit. So after settling end, he stood there, in the middle of the bedroom, with a red rose. Acacia knew what he was getting at. She gladly accepted. They had been married for twelve years, might as well have a child before they're too old to keep up with it.

* * *

Raven was lounging on the couch with enough ice cream to drown a pig. Summer was sitting on one side of her and Tai was sitting on the other side. She was six months pregnant. She was on the final lap so to speak. Tai fondled her hair and laid his head on her shoulder.

"Have you thought of a name?" He asked stroking her bloated stomach.

"No. I'm no good with names." Raven answered. She refused to name the child. He knew that. Why couldn't he get it through his thick skull that she wasn't planning on raising this kid.

"I think it would be best to at least see which of you the baby takes after." Summer said.

"Which parent named you?" Tai asked in curiosity.

"Not sure, but it was a play on an old poem my mother loved, with the fact that my Dad's name was Season, and his first name was Julius…kind of like the month."

"Isn't that the due date?" Tai said.

"July, yep." Raven answered. She adjusted herself to scratch her boob and Summer covered her gaze. "What, it's not like you haven't seen them before." Raven joked.

"Yeah I know but…" Summer fumbled over her words. "You do realize that certain…changes happen during pregnancy right?"

"Yeah, why?" The three remained silent. "Oh." Raven said.

"No, no you're beautiful it's just…" Summer's face twisted like she was holding back a laugh. "Your whole body looks like a tub of cookie dough."

"WHAT?" Raven's eyes flashed in anger.

"But I love cookie dough." Tai gave her a hug. That calmed her down. "And I know Summer does to." He shot Summer a smile as the petite girl sighed in relief. "You know what I just realized? Summer is the only one of our team who has seen all three of us…"

"And we're done having this conversation." Summer shot up and out of the room taking the ice cream with her.

"She's never going to not be embarrassed by that fact." Raven said.

"Nah…it was fun though." Tai smirked for a minute before his features sunk. "You're leaving after the baby is born…aren't you?"

"Yes Tai, we've been over this before. My job…my goals…are too important. I can't just dodge that responsibility because of some kid."

"But it's YOUR kid."

"I didn't ask for this. I had to make a choice. Be a mother, or do this job. I chose the job."

"Why?"

"You know why?"

"Why don't you want to be a mother, at all?"

"Because I know I'm not cut out for it! If I stay, if I raise this child, it'll be a waste. You all deserve better and I do to. We all need to do what we're good at or this world will suffer. I need to do this. Qrow needs to keep working for Ozpin. You need to keep being a light in the life of those around you. Summer needs to keep fighting Grimm and protecting the weak, including your baby."

"Our baby." Tai corrected.

"YOUR baby." Raven's word was final. She was done having this argument for the night.

"So I have three months to change your mind." Tai said.

* * *

"So…what's going to be her name?" Raymond asked as the gurgling baby was handed back to Acacia.

* * *

"Well, Tai it's time to name her." Raven said, handling the screaming baby to her father.

* * *

My little garden flower.

My little ball of sunshine.

My darling baby savior

My present from the divine.

I'll kiss her head to toes.

She'll right my every wrong.

My little Violet Rose

My darling Yang Xiao Long

 **AN: This is sort of a final chapter, but there's one more tomorrow that serves as an epilogue for Raven. That poem at the end, the one that goes back and forth between the two points of view and fifty years of time; while maintaining their own in time period rhyme schemes and a rhyme scheme when put together, yeah that…that was a pain. Be sure to review and favorite.**


	24. Nevermore

STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen

 **AN: Alas, the last chapter of STRQ. And it was almost from the perspective of Raven, then I realized that would make three chapters in a row like that. So I actually made it from Summer's perspective.**

Chapter 24: Nevermore

Summer had been waiting in the front room all night, a cup of coffee in her hand. It had been three days since Yang had been born. Raven was supposed to be sleeping in her room, but Summer knew better. She knew what was coming. She knew it was pointless to stop her. She just refused to let Raven go without saying goodbye.

She wondered how much Qrow knew. Qrow was good with secrets. He had also not seemed at all troubled by Raven's attitude these last few months. Well, not any more troubled as he was with the quarter life crisis he was going through courtesy of all the stuff that happened during the revolution.

Summer shook the thoughts from her head. She refused to think about it. No amount of sugar coating could make that smell any less foul. It had been the worse day of her life. It was the first time she ever questioned whether she was making any kind of difference. But she couldn't let her existential dread take her. She had to be strong, for Qrow, for Tai, for Yang and for Raven.

"If you wanted to make sure I didn't leave in the dead of night, the rooftop would have been better." Raven said as she walked into the room.

"You're really leaving…aren't you?" Summer asked, taking another sip of coffee.

"Yes." Raven said coldly.

"Can I ask why?"

"You already have."

"You've never given me a straight answer."

"Summer…you may understand but there's…there's no way Tai could." Raven looked away.

"Is that why you haven't told him anything? Is that why you're here with me now?" Summer stood up.

"Summer, this…there's too many unanswered questions. Draco wasn't working on his own accord. The Black Knights are still out there. Ozpin's knows all this and is still hiding the truth and…Summer what you did on that roof wasn't dust…was it?"

"No." Summer recalled what she did, how all she saw was a blinding light and it was as if she had created an entire fortress forest. It happened again against Draco. "I don't know what it was."

"Ozpin knows…he's even told Qrow a little bit. But I'm not waiting around for answers. This is too important to be so laxed."

"Then stay HERE. With your family. We can find these answers together."

"That's not how this works. I never wanted a family. I never wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, or Tai."

"What about Qrow?"

"What about him?"

"He's your brother!" Summer said in a harsh whisper. They were keeping their voices down but it was getting increasingly hard.

"He understands. We've spent our entire life together. It's time to grow up. It's time for all of us to grow up Summer."

"I am grown up." Summer's eyes flashed a silvery light. She was furious. "You're the one who is dodging responsibility like a child."

"I. Am. Not. I had a choice. One responsibility or the other. To unravel the mysteries of the world or stay here and be a mother. I chose to go with my dream, to see the world and continue getting stronger and smarter. Draco, Necros, Ozpin, you, me, it all ties back together and this is the only way to deal with it. The fact that I had absolutely no desire to raise a child only made the decision THAT much easier."

Summer's cheek burned as Summer smacked her across the face. There was a tear in the smaller huntress's eye.

"Are all the years we spent together really that meaningless to you?"

"Summer." Raven choked back the pain welling in her chest. "I'm twenty-four-years old. I have spent seven of those years by your side. That's over a quarter of my life. I have followed you. I have listened to you. I have admired you. But this is my choice. This is my chance to finally find out who I am."

"You're my best friend. You are Qrow's sister. You are Tai's girlfriend. You are Yang's mom. You are a huntress. THAT is who you are."

"I. Don't. Want. That. I thought you of all people would understand. Tai's in love with me, his stubbornness is warranted and Yang can't even form words to protest. But you of all people should understand how suffocating it's been for me these last nine months."

"What makes you say that."

"Because I know you've felt the same way for seven years."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about."

"Then say it."

"I know it was tearing you apart to see Tai and I together." Raven focused her gaze as Summer's features softened.

"That…that doesn't matter."

"It does to you. You can deny it all you want. All you've ever wanted to do is play hero and fight monsters. But at Beacon you wanted to add to that and you couldn't. I got in your way. I was selfish and played with both yours and his feelings."

"Don't…don't act like the reason your leaving is because it'll make me happy because it won't."

"Consider it the cherry on top. You can finally get with…"

"It'll destroy him. Then, no matter what I do, it'll just be a copy of you."

"That remains to be seen." Raven closed the distance between them. "I had that thought a long time ago. I thought about dumping him and moving out to give you a chance but I was selfish. I couldn't turn him down. That's not the reason I'm leaving." She put a hand on Summer's shoulder. "But it makes it easier knowing that it is impossible to find someone I'd rather leave Tai and Yang with. I know you'll love them like you do everyone else. You'll love them so much more than I'm physically and emotionally capable of."

"But I shouldn't have to."

"Well you do." Raven leaned in. "Thank you. I know if you really thought it would help you'd physically stop me and there isn't anything I could do to get through you."

"You were always stronger than me Raven."

"Not anymore. The things you can do, on and off the battlefield, I'll never be able to compete with. You're better than me at just about everything."

"You're selling yourself short."

"Thank you. For one more thing. I never loved anybody…not really. Tai was an infatuation. Yang never got a chance. Qrow doesn't count because we're two eyepieces in the same set of glasses. But you…I think you're the closest person I've ever came to loving."

Raven kissed her on the cheek and disappeared. Summer could have stopped her. She could have dashed forward, caught her bird form and broke every bone in Raven's body. But she didn't. She just stood there staring at the ground while her best friend flew out the door into God knows where.

She had a long day tomorrow. She'd likely have to break Tai's legs to keep him from going after her. Which means she'd be the only one up to watching after Yang. She needed to make sure the fridge and pantry were stocked with food. She'd have to make sure Yang had diapers.

She couldn't let herself fall apart now. Not when so many important people needed her to be strong. She had to be there for all of them. She wouldn't let this family she's made get ripped to shreds because of Raven. If Raven didn't care than that was twice as many cares that Summer had to have.

She wondered if Qrow was up, wherever he was on his mission from Ozpin. She wondered if she should call him, let him know Raven was gone. But the thought escaped when she heard Yang crying in her crib. So she quickly went to the room and started seeing what was wrong.

Yang looked so much like Raven, but with white hair. Her eyes also turned a lilac hue when she was happy. Summer picked her up out of the crib and started rocking her.

"It's okay Yang. I'm here. There's no need to cry. I'll chase all the nightmares away. I'll love you, forever and always."

 **AN: STRQ: Tales of the Old Huntsmen is finished. I like some parts of it. Maybe in a few years I'll do a bigger and longer version. Maybe I won't. But all the plot threads in this story continue in RWBY, the actual series and my story RWBYond Vale. Individual plot threads continue in Fall of Mountain Glenn (for the Old Huntsmen stuff) and RWBYond Hope (for the STRQ stuff). But starting tomorrow I have RWBYond Happily Ever After, the epilogue story for RWBYond Vale. Be sure to review, favorite, check out my profile, check back every day for a new chapter of something and stay classy.**


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